ECONOMY
European Imports of Russian LNG at Decade-High Levels, Keeping Alive Yamal Project
May 9, 2026
- Vladimir Slivyak
Environment and energy analyst
As the war in Ukraine rages, a key source of money for the Kremlin and its war machine remains LNG exports from Russia’s Arctic, in particular those to the tough-talking EU. In the first four months of the year, European imports of Russian LNG hit record highs, notes Vladimir Slivyak, an environment and energy analyst.
This is a translated version of an article originally published by Republic.
According to a fresh analysis of Kpler LNG tracking data published by Urgewald, a nonprofit environmental and human rights organization based in Germany, the EU imported a record volume of LNG from Russia’s Yamal LNG plant in the first four months of 2026.
Between January and April, EU countries received 91 cargoes from Yamal – 98% of total exports for the project. EU Yamal LNG imports rose 17.2% versus the same period in 2025, increasing from 5.71 million tons to 6.69 million tons, and marked the highest level in the January-April period since exports started in 2017. In April 2026 alone, deliveries to the EU were up 17.1% year over year.
Based on benchmark TTF prices (TTF stands for Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s largest virtual trading point for natural gas, located in the Netherlands), European payments for LNG from the Russian Arctic can be estimated at roughly EUR3.88 billion in the first four months of the year.
The Yamal LNG project relies on a small fleet of specialized Arc7 ice-class tankers designed to navigate one-year pack ice independently. These vessels rely on fast turnaround times at European ports during the most operationally constrained months of the year.
The EU has introduced new measures targeting Russian LNG, including restrictions on new short-term contracts starting April 25, with more onerous restrictions due to come into force later. It is still too early to assess how the short-term contract restrictions will affect the market, yet the lion’s share of LNG from the Russian Arctic looks set to continue flowing to Europe, as it is based on long-term contracts.
According to a fresh analysis of Kpler LNG tracking data published by Urgewald, a nonprofit environmental and human rights organization based in Germany, the EU imported a record volume of LNG from Russia’s Yamal LNG plant in the first four months of 2026.
Between January and April, EU countries received 91 cargoes from Yamal – 98% of total exports for the project. EU Yamal LNG imports rose 17.2% versus the same period in 2025, increasing from 5.71 million tons to 6.69 million tons, and marked the highest level in the January-April period since exports started in 2017. In April 2026 alone, deliveries to the EU were up 17.1% year over year.
Based on benchmark TTF prices (TTF stands for Title Transfer Facility, Europe’s largest virtual trading point for natural gas, located in the Netherlands), European payments for LNG from the Russian Arctic can be estimated at roughly EUR3.88 billion in the first four months of the year.
The Yamal LNG project relies on a small fleet of specialized Arc7 ice-class tankers designed to navigate one-year pack ice independently. These vessels rely on fast turnaround times at European ports during the most operationally constrained months of the year.
The EU has introduced new measures targeting Russian LNG, including restrictions on new short-term contracts starting April 25, with more onerous restrictions due to come into force later. It is still too early to assess how the short-term contract restrictions will affect the market, yet the lion’s share of LNG from the Russian Arctic looks set to continue flowing to Europe, as it is based on long-term contracts.
Christophe de Margerie LNG carrier
Kremlin.ru
Kremlin.ru
LNG prices have surged recently because of the US/Israel-Iran war, along with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In March, the average front-month TTF price rose from EUR35 per MWh in January-February (roughly equivalent to $420 per 1,000 cubic meters of piped gas) to EUR52.87 per MWh ($630 per 1,000 cubic meters). In April, it remained at an elevated EUR45.21 per MWh ($540 per 1,000 cubic meters).
In April alone, the Belgian port of Zeebrugge received eight cargoes totaling 587,482 tons (equivalent to 835 million cubic meters) of Yamal LNG, accounting for 36.3% of all European Yamal LNG imports that month. As of April 30, Zeebrugge had received 25 Yamal cargoes totaling 1.84 million tons (2.6 billion cubic meters) since the start of the year, or 26.9% of all Yamal LNG imports to Europe. In other words, tankers carrying Russian LNG from Yamal were arriving in Zeebrugge roughly every five days.
Overall, Europe has never imported Yamal LNG at such a pace as it did in the first four months of the year. Put simply, the EU is keeping Russia’s Arctic LNG business afloat. While the long-term LNG contracts remain in place, Europe will continue financing a Russian gas project that has no profitable future without the EU.
Russia is under enormous economic pressure, and Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy industry are exposing real vulnerabilities in the Kremlin’s war economy. At this critical moment, the EU still holds in its hands one of Moscow’s key sources of revenue.
In April alone, the Belgian port of Zeebrugge received eight cargoes totaling 587,482 tons (equivalent to 835 million cubic meters) of Yamal LNG, accounting for 36.3% of all European Yamal LNG imports that month. As of April 30, Zeebrugge had received 25 Yamal cargoes totaling 1.84 million tons (2.6 billion cubic meters) since the start of the year, or 26.9% of all Yamal LNG imports to Europe. In other words, tankers carrying Russian LNG from Yamal were arriving in Zeebrugge roughly every five days.
Overall, Europe has never imported Yamal LNG at such a pace as it did in the first four months of the year. Put simply, the EU is keeping Russia’s Arctic LNG business afloat. While the long-term LNG contracts remain in place, Europe will continue financing a Russian gas project that has no profitable future without the EU.
Russia is under enormous economic pressure, and Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s energy industry are exposing real vulnerabilities in the Kremlin’s war economy. At this critical moment, the EU still holds in its hands one of Moscow’s key sources of revenue.
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