EU imports record 9.97 million tonnes of Russian LNG from Yamal plant ahead of 2027 ban

Record volumes from the Arctic

European Union countries imported record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia's Yamal facility in the first six months of 2026. Data from commodities intelligence firm Kpler shows 136 cargoes delivered to EU ports, totalling 9.97 million metric tonnes. That represents a 16% increase in volume compared with the 117 cargoes and 8.57 million tonnes received in the first half of 2025. The figures come months before an EU ban on Russian LNG imports under long-term contracts takes effect on January 1, 2027.

It is absorbing almost the entire output of one of Russia's most strategically important LNG projects.

Where the gas went

France was the largest single destination, receiving 51 cargoes (3.74 million tonnes), followed by Belgium with 37 cargoes (2.70 million tonnes) and Spain with 34 cargoes (2.50 million tonnes). The Netherlands imported 12 cargoes (881,970 tonnes) and Portugal received two cargoes (147,170 tonnes) at the port of Sines. More than 97% of all Yamal deliveries worldwide between January and June went to EU ports, according to analysis by German campaign group Urgewald. By contrast, Asia-bound volumes collapsed, falling 74% to just over 510,000 tonnes. China received only four cargoes across the entire six-month period.

The money trail

Urgewald estimated the value of EU purchases from Yamal in the first half of 2026 at €5.96 billion ($6.82 billion). The Financial Times cited a figure of approximately €6 billion. The EU agreed to phase out Russian gas imports following Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the ban takes a step-wise approach. Short-term contract purchases were prohibited from April 2026. Long-term contracts can continue until January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas imports until September 2027.

The figures are stark, especially as they are not happening in a vacuum.

Broader import trends

EU imports of Russian pipeline gas increased 7% year-on-year between January and May 2026, while Russian LNG imports rose by 11%, according to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). ACER noted that since the regulation entered force, LNG imports rose 17% between March 18 and May 31, 2026, despite the short-term contract ban. Reasons included companies front-loading deliveries ahead of the full ban, the EU's 2025 prohibition on trans-shipments of Russian LNG (meaning more volumes stay in Europe), and contractual adjustments. Russian gas still accounts for 12% of European demand, and in Hungary and Slovakia it represents 70% to 80% of gas consumption.

Yamal's European dependency

The Yamal LNG project, located in Russia's western Arctic, is controlled by private Russian firm Novatek, with China's CNPC, France's TotalEnergies, and China's Silk Road Fund also holding stakes. The facility depends on a small fleet of specialised Arc7 ice-class tankers that require quick turnaround in European ports. Ports in France and Denmark also provide repair and maintenance services. The alternative Northern Sea Route to Asia is riskier and takes much longer. Some international shipping companies, insurers and financiers are concerned about exposure to EU sanctions, according to people with knowledge of the matter cited by the Financial Times. TotalEnergies has retained its stake since the invasion but expects it may be forced to exit once the sanctions prohibiting EU imports take effect.

What happens in 2027

From January 1, 2027, the EU ban on long-term Russian LNG imports takes effect, with pipeline gas prohibited later that year. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated in March 2026 that after the ban, supplies would be redirected to "friendly countries" in Asia. However, Kpler data shows Asia-bound shipments from Yamal fell 74% in the first half of 2026, and the logistical constraints of the Arctic route make a large-scale pivot eastward challenging.