politics
EU Spends More on Russian Arctic LNG in Eight Months Than All of 2025
The European Union has already paid more for Russian Arctic LNG in the first eight months of 2026 than during all of 2025, even as Brussels prepares to end imports by January. The surge highlights Europe’s continuing dependence on Yamal LNG and exposes a growing gap between EU and British sanctions that could allow Russia to keep its Arctic export network operating.
Published
The European Union has already spent more on liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Arctic Yamal project in the first eight months of 2026 than it did during all of last year, underscoring the continued growth in Russian LNG imports even as the bloc prepares to ban them from January 2027.
The EU paid an estimated 7.28 billion euros ($8.54 billion) for Yamal LNG between January 1 and September 5, according to an analysis by German environmental and financial watchdog Urgewald based on Kpler shipping data. That compares with an estimated 7.2 billion euros for the whole of 2025.
The figures extend a trend that has seen Europe remain the principal destination for Russian LNG despite repeated EU efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian energy.
“Europe says it is moving away from Russian energy. These figures show the opposite,” Alexander Kirk, senior campaign manager and strategic communications adviser at Urgewald, said in a statement.
“The EU took 10% more Yamal LNG and almost nine out of every ten tonnes the project exported during the first eight months of the year.”
They cannot ignore that EU money
Europe takes more
During the first eight months of 2026, EU ports received 156 Yamal LNG cargoes containing about 11.39 million tonnes, up 10.1% from the 10.34 million tonnes delivered in the same period of 2025, Urgewald said.
At the same time, Yamal’s worldwide exports fell 3.1%, to 12.82 million tonnes from 13.23 million tonnes.
That means Europe’s share of Yamal’s exports increased sharply, from 78.2% in the first eight months of 2025 to 88.9% this year.
Kpler’s latest data show that 159 of 180 completed Yamal LNG deliveries worldwide through September 7 were bound for EU ports, representing about 11.61 million tonnes, or 88.6% of total delivered volume.
The pattern is partly seasonal. Yamal LNG depends on a small fleet of specialized Arc7 ice-class tankers, while the Northern Sea Route becomes increasingly difficult for direct shipments to Asia as winter approaches.
In August, seven Yamal cargoes went to the EU and seven to Asian destinations. But over the first eight months of the year, Europe still absorbed almost nine out of every 10 tonnes exported by the project. And these figures come despite the EU already having phased-out short-term contracts earlier this year.
Sanctions leave openings
The surge comes as the EU prepares to close its market to Russian LNG. Under the bloc’s phase-out legislation imports under existing long-term contracts are due to end on January 1, 2027.
That leaves less than four months for the European market to absorb Russian LNG before the principal source of demand for Yamal is cut off.
But the EU has simultaneously softened restrictions on the maritime trade supporting Russian LNG.
As part of its 21st sanctions package, the bloc agreed in July to a 12-month exemption allowing European companies to continue buying, transporting and servicing Russian LNG destined for countries outside the EU under qualifying arrangements. The compromise followed pressure from Greece, whose shipping industry has extensive exposure to the Russian LNG trade.
That means the EU market may close to Russian LNG while European shipping and other maritime companies continue to facilitate its movement to third countries.
The fleet also remains dependent on European maintenance. Danish shipyard Fayard is the last EU yard servicing Yamal’s Arc7 fleet, with the Dynagas vessel Boris Davydov undergoing maintenance there since late August.
Sebastian Rötters, a sanctions campaigner at Urgewald, said European leaders could not separate Arctic security from the continuing LNG trade.
“European leaders are meeting in Rovaniemi to discuss security and power in the High North,” Rötters said.
“They cannot ignore that EU money, ports and maritime services are helping one of Putin’s flagship Arctic energy projects enjoy a bumper year.”
Risk creating a sanctions gap
The divergence is becoming particularly apparent between Britain and the EU.
These figures show the opposite
The United Kingdom has moved toward a broader ban on maritime services for Russian LNG, including insurance and transport to third countries. The British measures are due to eliminate remaining exemptions in January 2027.
The Financial Times reported that a UK insurer has continued providing protection and indemnity cover to three Russian LNG tankers operated by Greece’s Dynagas because of a gap in the existing British rules. Once the remaining exemptions expire, British insurers will have to withdraw from the trade.
At the same time, the EU has granted European companies a 12-month exemption allowing them to continue servicing Russian LNG exports to non-EU countries until July 2027.
That creates a potentially significant regulatory mismatch. Different rules could weaken the collective impact of sanctions because shipping and insurance can be reorganized around whichever jurisdiction is more permissive.
For Russia’s Arctic LNG industry, that could prove valuable. Yamal needs a relatively small number of specialized vessels, insurers, shipyards and other maritime providers to keep its exports moving. If companies can shift those functions between jurisdictions rather than leave the trade altogether, the practical impact of sanctions will be reduced.
Rötters said Urgewald wants the EU’s next sanctions package to target the remaining logistical dependencies, including the Arc7 fleet and the services that keep the vessels operational.
“The upcoming 22nd sanctions package must address Russian LNG, end exemptions, introduce a strict ban on LNG tanker sales and restrict the services keeping the Arc7 fleet operational.”
The EU’s impending import ban will represent a major change for Yamal LNG, but the broader sanctions regime remains fragmented. Britain may prohibit services that the EU continues to permit, while the EU market closes but European companies retain a route into the Russian LNG trade through third-country destinations.
For Moscow, that patchwork could provide room to adapt.
