Overview

Sovcomflot (PJSC SCF Group) is Russia's state-owned shipping conglomerate, headquartered in St Petersburg. The company is the largest LNG carrier operator owned by a single state and a major Arctic-shuttle tanker operator. Around 130 vessels in service. The 2022 sanctions environment has changed Sovcomflot's operating posture significantly — many vessels now operate under non-Western charter and crewing arrangements.

For seafarers

Contracts 4-6 months with mid-to-high pay tier (Russian-flag tonnage; pay varies by route and sanctions exposure). Russian officer pipeline through Admiral Makarov State University; international crewing has historically operated through Russian-affiliated Mumbai and Manila agencies, though sanctions have constrained this.

Watch for

Sanctions exposure is the dominant career consideration for Western and Western-allied nationals working on Sovcomflot tonnage. Western flag-state CoC endorsements may not be valid for service on Russian-flag tonnage post-2022; verify with your flag administration before joining.