In the first half of 2026, the European Union purchased practically all the liquefied gas produced by Russia at the Yamal LNG plant in the Siberian Arctic.
VOLUMES AND PRICES OF EUROPEAN IMPORTS FROM YAMAL LNG
According to data from Kpler reported by the Financial Times, from January to June European imports from Yamal LNG amounted to 9.8 million tons, a record volume and 18 percent higher than in the first half of 2025.
The non-governmental organization Urgewald estimates that the European Union spent up to 6 billion euros to receive these shipments.
HOW MUCH RUSSIAN GAS IS WORTH TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
Despite plans to detach energy supplies from Russia – from January liquefied gas imports will be banned, moreover –, the country has remained a very relevant supplier for the Union: before the invasion of Ukraine, the bloc depended on Moscow for over 40 percent of gas imports; last year, however, the Russian share of total community supplies was 13 percent.
Since April 25, the ban on imports of Russian liquefied gas through short-term contracts has been in effect; for long-term contracts, the ban will start on January 1, 2027. On September 30, 2027, the ban on pipeline purchases will take effect.
However, in recent months Russia has allowed the European Union to compensate for the loss of gas supplies caused by the war in the Persian Gulf: Qatar, in particular, had to halt production due to attacks from Iran. For this reason, the operator of the Spanish port of Bilbao – one of the main entry points for Russian liquefied gas into the Union – said that the European ban must be lifted, otherwise the bloc risks becoming too dependent on the United States for energy.
THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT PURCHASE THE MOST RUSSIAN LNG
The European Union member countries that purchased the most gas from Yamal LNG in the first six months of 2026 are, in order, France (3.6 million tons), Belgium (2.9 million tons), and Spain (2.7 million tons).
AND ASIA?
It is more convenient for Russia to export liquefied gas to Europe, since the routes to Asia are longer and especially more complicated due to the ice. In the first half of 2026, shipments from Yamal LNG to Asia amounted to only 510,000 tons, 74 percent less year-on-year: a very significant drop – which according to the Financial Times is linked to European sanctions on Russia –, although shipments eastward usually concentrate in summer, when navigation is easier.
RUSSIA’S PROBLEM WITH ICEBREAKERS
Russia prefers to sell Yamal LNG’s output in Europe also because the plant relies, for marketing its production, on a small fleet of Arc7 icebreaker LNG carriers. These vessels depend, for maintenance, on European shipyards, such as Damen in France or Fayard in Denmark.
WHO CONTROLS YAMAL LNG
Yamal LNG is controlled by the Russian private energy company Novatek and is participated in by the French company TotalEnergies and the Chinese state oil group Cnpc. Inaugurated in 2017, it is the Russian plant that produces the most liquefied gas, with a capacity of 17.4 million tons per year.
