EventAccording to Urgewald cargo‑tracking data, the EU received 12.18 million tonnes of Yamal LNG—9.5 % more than the same period in 2025—via 167 cargoes, absorbing 85 % of the project’s deliveries. Payments were estimated at €7.88 bn. Short‑term contracts were barred from 25 Apr 2026, and long‑term contracts will end 1 Jan 2027. A June 1 letter from Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen clarified that EU operators cannot trade or market the gas to third countries regardless of destination.
The European Union purchased a record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG from Yamal in the first nine months of 2026, a 9.5 % increase over 2025. Despite a short‑term contract ban in April 2026, EU firms—including TotalEnergies, SEFE, and Naturgy—continued buying to feed European markets, with a full prohibition slated for Jan 1 2027.
EU's share of Russian Arctic LNG imports grew, even as Yamal's worldwide deliveries dropped 1.3%, allowing the EU to absorb a larger slice of Russia's Arctic output.
The EU reportedly spent about €7.9 billion on Russian Arctic LNG, part of a record import volume in the first nine months of the year.
EU ports received 12.18 million tonnes of Russian Arctic LNG between January and September 2026, a 9.5 % rise from the same period in 2025, with estimated payments of €7.88 billion for the first nine months. Despite a U.S. sanctions review and the EU’s short‑term contract ban, imports remain high, giving Russia a substantial nearby market and keeping EU governments in a position to influence the trade.
The EU imported a record 12.18 million metric tons of LNG from Russia’s Yamal Arctic project between January and September 2026, accounting for 85 % of Yamal’s deliveries and costing about €7.88 billion, while U.S. sanctions deadlines add uncertainty to the fleet’s operations.
