Captain Sergey Zybko is one ship master whose name keeps cropping up.

It is hardly surprising. The veteran Russian seafarer has been “at the helm” in one form or another for 34 years: as a graduate of the Alexander Popov Naval Radio-electronic Academy, a submarine captain, and then in roles at Tesma, BW Gas and Sovcomflot (SCF Group).

But it is his most recent posting as captain of Sovcomflot’s Yamal LNG flagship, the 172,600-cbm Christophe de Margerie (built 2017), which has catapulted him into the political spotlight.