100+ European politicians urge Danish shipyard to stop servicing Russian gas tankers

More than 100 politicians from the European Parliament and national parliaments across Europe have directly criticized the Danish shipyard Fayard, located in Odense. They have signed a letter urging the shipyard to cease servicing gas tankers that transport Russian gas, arguing that these vessels indirectly contribute to Russia's war economy.

The letter, addressed to Fayard's CEO Thomas Andersen and also published on the website of the environmental and human rights organization Urgewald, which helped organize the criticism, states: "We recognize that maintenance work on these ships may still be permissible under the current legislative framework. However, legality alone cannot be the sole criterion by which such a decision is judged. In the current geopolitical context, maintaining these ships is strategically the wrong decision."

This is not the first time Fayard has faced criticism for servicing ships involved in the transport of Russian gas. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the shipyard has reportedly serviced nine ships used by Russia for natural gas exports. This information was revealed by the Financial Times in January 2025 and later by Danwatch and Ekstra Bladet in September 2024.

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We recognize that maintenance work on these ships may still be permissible under the current legislative framework. However, legality alone cannot be the sole criterion by which such a decision is judged. In the current geopolitical context, maintaining these ships is strategically the wrong decision.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed astonishment at the reports last year, stating, "First and foremost, I simply cannot understand if this is true. I cannot comprehend if a Danish shipyard is contributing to Russia's war in Europe, and they must stop that."

Fayard, based in Odense, has not yet publicly responded to the latest appeal from the politicians. The group of 101 signatories comes from 16 different countries, including nine Danish parliament members.

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First and foremost, I simply cannot understand if this is true. I cannot comprehend if a Danish shipyard is contributing to Russia's war in Europe, and they must stop that.