News on Russia.
The US Department of Justice has charged six Russian intelligence agents with being behind a cyberattack that hit Maersk, among others, costing the shipping group up to of USD 300 million.
A joint venture between shipping company Sovcomflot and Russian natural gas producer Novatek has ordered 10 LNG vessels for a project in the Arctic.
Russian port company Global Ports, of which Maersk owns one third, delivers an increased revenue for the first half of the year. However, earnings dropped, and this development is expected to continue in the second half.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, Norway could be about to lower its oil output. This occurs at a time when the country was otherwise expected to increase production.
Oil outfits see a huge surge in tanker rates as fleet utilization approaches 100 percent, with analysts saying the market could "go higher" in the short run.
OPEC+ could be on the verge of failure as Russia opposes deeper output cuts. Russia's energy minister says the country favors maintaining the oil cartel's current levels until June.
The US imposes sanctions on a unit under Russia's Rosneft for its ties to Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA and President Nicolas Maduro.
State-owned Russian nuclear company has presented a plan for several banks to invest billions of dollars in, among other things, container shops, in an effort to become one of the world's largest shipping companies. The Northern Sea Route plays a key part in the business plan, reports Russian media.
Russian state-owned Sovcomflot and a Russian financial institute have signed a contract for the first LNG ice-breaker that will sail for major project Arctic LNG 2.
Statsejede Sovcomflot og et russisk finansieringsselskab har indgået kontrakt for den første LNG.isbryder, der skal sejle for det store projekt Arctic LNG 2.
Russia considers pushing back local adoption of 0.5 percent sulfur cap in order to "prevent financial pressure" on the country's shipowners, says Energy Minister Alexander Novak.
Russia wants to make its Arctic waters more attractive to shippers than the Suez Canal and could be willing to compensate for potential risks to make that happen.
Dan-Bunkering could not have handled the sale of jet fuel to the Russian military differently, for instance ensuring who would be the final buyer of the fuel. And the procedures will not change going forward, Bunker Holding CEO Keld Demant tells ShippingWatch.
Russia increases its efforts to use nuclear power as ship fuel with an order for another two nuclear-powered ice-breaker vessels. A few days ago a similar vessel was launched in St. Petersburg.
Russia's Sovcomflot has already surpassed its expectations for the beginning of 2019. This comes after two weak years in the tanker market where the company booked deficits and impaired the value of its fleet.
According to Norwegian media Aftenposten, Norway's state-owned oil company has invested EUR 220 million in Russia since 2014 where sanctions were introduced against the country.
The new IMO 2020 sulfur regulations will hit the Russian oil sector the hardest, as the country seems to have done little to prepare for the transition, says analyst.
As ice caps melt due to some of the warmest temperatures ever recorded, a new energy trade route is opening up north of the Arctic Circle. The development alarms NGOs but represents an opportunity to shipping players such as LNG carriers.
The US has sanctioned the owners of six Russian tanker ships on claims that they are helping transfer petroleum products to North Korean vessels in violation of international prohibitions.
JSC Zaliv Shipyard, a major Russian yard that builds both container ships and tankers, has now been added to the EU's sanction list because it participated in the construction of the Kerch bridge to the annexed Crimea penninsula. This is the first time a yard has been added to the list.
Sovcomflot's huge LNG tanker vessel Christophe de Margerie (photo) has set a new time record for sailing north of Russia in July from the Yamal Peninsula to the Bering Strait without assistance from ice-breakers.
The EU extends its economic sanctions on Russia by six months due to the Russian aggressions toward Ukraine.
Unifeeder has made a deal with CMA CGM to book slots on the French liner company's new ships between Germany and Russia, writes Alphaliner.
The sanctions against Russian mining behemoth Rusal increases uncertainty in the dry bulk market, causing displacements throughout the supply chain, say stakeholders such as Norway's Torvald Klaveness.
Maersk Line and two of the liner company's subsidiaries have been working closely with major Russian aluminum producer Rusal, which is now hit hard by new sanctions imposed by the US.
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Junior Procurement Officer for Stena Rederi A/S 
