EventEU buyers shipped a record 9.97 million tonnes of LNG from Russia’s Yamal facility in the first half of 2026, up 16% over 2025 and worth €5.96 billion. The bloc absorbed more than 97% of Yamal’s output; pipeline gas imports rose 11%. Buyers are front‑loading Arctic gas amid Middle East bottlenecks and REPowerEU exemptions that allow continued intake until the full ban takes effect Jan 1 2027.
The EU’s first‑half 2026 LNG imports from Russia’s Yamal Arctic facility rose to a record 9.97 Mt—a 16% jump over the same period in 2025—highlighting how European buyers are front‑loading Arctic gas amid Middle East supply disruptions and a pending 2027 ban.
European Union imported a record 9.97 million tonnes of LNG from Russia’s Yamal facility during the first half of 2026—an increase of 16% over 2025—as it front‑loaded supplies ahead of a complete ban set for January 2027, with most imports coming through exemptions in the REPowerEU regulation.
