Europe's imports from Russia's Yamal LNG project hit their highest ever level in the first half of 2026, a move that reflects the continent's continued reliance on Russian supplies months before the European ban on Russian gas imports takes effect.

According to data from analytics firm Kpler, European Union purchases from the Yamal LNG project, controlled by Russia's Novatek, amounted to around 9.89 million tonnes in the first six months of this year, up 18 percent from the same period in 2025.

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According to the Financial Times, these figures highlight the pivotal role Europe still plays in supporting the continued operation of Russia's largest LNG projects, as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year.

According to estimates by the non-governmental organization Urgewald, the value of these shipments may have reached around 6 billion euros during the period.

The data showed that France, Belgium, and Spain topped the list of European importers of gas from the Yamal project, importing 3.6 million tonnes, 2.9 million tonnes, and 2.7 million tonnes respectively in the first half of the year.

Sebastian Rüters, a sanctions monitoring specialist at Urgewald, described these figures as "striking," noting that they come as Russia has intensified its attacks on energy infrastructure and civilian sites in Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.

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European Ban Approaching

Current European laws already ban the purchase of Russian LNG under short-term contracts, meaning every shipment from Yamal bound for Europe must prove to the customs authorities of the importing country that it is tied to a long-term contract.

The European Union's ban on imports of Russian LNG linked to long-term contracts is scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027, forcing Moscow to find alternative markets and routes for its production. Russian gas transported via pipelines will also be banned later in the year.

Europe's Importance to the Yamal Project

European ports are a vital factor for the continued operation of the Yamal project in the Russian Arctic, as it relies on a limited fleet of specialized Arc7 ice-class tankers.

The volume of exports is largely linked to the turnaround speed of these ships in European ports, while the alternative of transferring shipments to Asia via the Northern Sea Route takes longer and involves greater risks.

In contrast, shipments to Asia fell by 74 percent in the first half of the year to just over 510,000 tonnes.

Yamal exports to Asian markets usually rise in the summer, but the volumes sent east have remained limited this year, partly due to concerns among some international shipping, insurance, and finance companies about being hit by European sanctions.

The ice tankers used to transport the project's output also still rely heavily on European shipyards and repair facilities, including facilities of Damen in the French city of Brest and Denmark's Fayard.

Rüters said: "The Yamal LNG project depends on a small, specialized fleet, and on European ports and services to maintain export flows. Europe still provides all three."

Russia's Largest LNG Producer

Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated the Yamal LNG project in 2017, and it remains Russia's largest LNG producer with a capacity of 17.4 million tonnes per year, while actual output often exceeds this level.

In addition to Novatek, which holds the largest stake, the project's shareholders include France's TotalEnergies and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

In February, TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said the group, which has long-term contracts to export gas from Yamal, might have to halt its exports to the European Union, and possibly from the entire project, due to what he described as the "ambiguity" surrounding the implementation of the upcoming European ban.