The sanctioned heavy-lift carriers Bright and Glory, which have transported large modules for Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project, have been reflagged to Russia, while shipping reports indicate that their ownership and management have also shifted to a Russian company.
The vessels, Bright (IMO 9830769) and Glory (IMO 9934498), are now operating under the Russian flag. According to maritime publication gCaptain, ownership and management were transferred to Arkhangelsk-based Eco Shipping LLC earlier in 2026. However, some publicly available vessel databases still identify China’s Guangdong Nan Feng Shipping Co. as the registered owner, leaving the latest ownership records independently unreconciled.
Both ships have previously operated under different names. Bright, a 24,961 dwt heavy-lift carrier built in 2018, was formerly known as Zhi Xian Zhi Xing, Hunter Star and Bright Ocean. The 2022-built Glory, with a deadweight capacity of 25,119 tonnes, previously sailed as Nan Feng Zhi Xing and Glory Ocean.
The two carriers have played a role in transporting oversized equipment from China to Novatek‘s Arctic LNG 2 development. In July 2026, they delivered two large process modules for the project’s third LNG production train to the Belokamenka construction facility near Murmansk, where modules are assembled onto gravity-based structures.
Following that delivery, the ships returned to China. In September, they loaded two onshore power-generation modules at Zhangjiagang, intended for Arctic LNG 2’s second production train at the Utrenniy terminal on Russia’s Gydan Peninsula.
According to a report published by environmental organization Bellona on 4 November, both vessels stopped transmitting Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals in the Bering Sea on 22 September while heading towards the Russian Arctic. Bellona stated that the final discharge of the September cargoes had not been independently confirmed at the time of its report.
The vessels have also been subject to Western sanctions connected to their involvement in Russian energy projects. Ukraine’s official War & Sanctions database identifies Bright, under its former name Bright Ocean, and Glory, formerly Glory Ocean, as heavy-lift carriers involved in Arctic LNG 2 module transportation. Both vessels are listed under US, EU, Swiss and Canadian sanctions.
The reflagging comes amid wider scrutiny of specialized heavy-lift shipping linked to Russian Arctic energy projects. Norwegian authorities recently detained another sanctioned heavy-lift vessel, Ya Qing Hai Yang, over invalid flag registration and missing statutory certificates. A second vessel, Jian Yang Cheng He, was inspected but not detained, as previously reported by HMT News.
While the Russian flag changes have been documented, the financial terms and timing of the reported ownership transfers have not been disclosed. No subsequent assignments for Bright and Glory have been publicly confirmed.
