New Delhi has decided not to accept a cargo of liquefied natural gas from Russia's Portovaya plant, which is subject to US sanctions. The decision stems from India's concerns about violating sanctions, as LNG shipments are more difficult to conceal from satellite monitoring and tracking than oil tankers.

The Kunpeng tanker, which was carrying the cargo, was previously bound for a terminal in the Indian port of Daheji. However, the vessel is currently off the coast of Singapore with no stated destination. Agency sources clarify that India is generally willing to purchase Russian gas that is not subject to sanctions, but a significant portion of this volume has already been contracted for European countries.

The US has been steadily expanding sanctions against the Russian energy sector. In April 2026, restrictions were imposed on the Gazprom LNG Portovaya liquefied natural gas plant and offshore LNG terminal. Since late 2023, the Arctic LNG 2 project has been under US sanctions, and all current and future Russian LNG projects, with the exception of Yamal LNG, have been blacklisted.

In addition to the projects themselves, sanctions have also affected specialized fleets for transporting super-cooled fuel, seriously limiting Russia's export capabilities.