Protesters in Denmark rally against last EU shipyard servicing Russia-linked tankers

Protesters in Copenhagen on Oct. 1 staged a demonstration against Danish shipyard Fayard for continuing to service vessels tied to Russia’s LNG exports, according to a coalition of civil society groups. Fayard is described as the last known EU shipyard still maintaining a fleet of specialized Arc7 tankers that export Russian LNG from the Arctic. Jens Alstrup, chairman of the NGO Freedom for Ukraine, said the yard’s work is a stain on Danish support for Ukraine and that activists will keep pressuring Fayard to stop. Critics point to servicing of four Russia-linked LNG tankers since late June, including the Nikolay Yevgenov, which underwent service Sept. 24, based on sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald. An EU-wide ban on Russian LNG imports is set to begin Jan. 1, 2027, but a bloc exemption for Dynagas allows continued transport to third countries after that date. Organizers also say the EU has not agreed on a maritime services ban that would make such maintenance illegal without G7 coordination.