In the first half of 2026, European Union countries imported a record volume of liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Yamal LNG project. Financial Times reported this, citing data from the analytics company Kpler.
According to those figures, in January-June EU member states purchased 9.89 million tons of LNG from the plant. That is 18% more than in the same period a year earlier. The value of those purchases is estimated at about six billion euros.
The main buyers were France, Belgium, and Spain. At the same time, a ban on LNG purchases under long-term contracts is due to take effect across the EU on January 1, 2027. Restrictions on short-term contracts, the report says, have already been in force since spring 2026.
Yamal LNG is a joint venture involving Russia’s Novatek, which holds 50.1%, France’s Total with 20%, the China National Petroleum Corporation with 20%, and China’s Silk Road Fund, which owns 9.9%.
Total kept its stake in the project after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. However, the company has said it will likely be forced to exit Yamal LNG once sanctions take effect that, among other things, bar European companies from buying Russian LNG for resale outside the European Union.
In March, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, commenting on the EU decision to ban imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, said supplies would be redirected to “friendly” countries in Asia.