Dark ship appearing to transfer sanctioned Russia LNG off Malaysia

A dark tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a US-sanctioned Russian export plant has positioned itself for a rare open-water fuel transfer off the coast of Malaysia, satellite images show, in a demonstration of the increasingly circuitous routes taken by Moscow to evade Western restrictions.

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A dark ship is one whose ownership is unknown and is used in trades relating to sanctioned countries by engaging in deceptive shipping practices.

The Perle, which was sanctioned by the US earlier in 2025, is currently anchored parallel to another vessel about 90km east of the Malaysian peninsula, according to Sentinel-2 satellite images taken on Oct 18 and earlier ship-tracking data.

The position is typical of a ship-to-ship manoeuvre and suggests that the two are in the process of transferring cargo.

While the area has been a hot spot for open-water transfers of sensitive crude, often between so-called dark-fleet tankers that use a range of practices to evade sanctions, such operations are technically challenging and unusual for natural gas.