Europe paid around €7.88 billion for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Arctic energy project in the first nine months of 2026 despite Brussels’ efforts to phase out gas from Moscow, according to the campaign group Urgewald.
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The figures, compiled by Urgewald using data from the market intelligence firm Kpler, expose just how reliant the EU remains on Russian energy, with a record of 12.18 million tonnes reaching European ports between January and September this year.
The EU has been trying to wean itself off Russian energy for a while, and this year introduced a number of measures to end its reliance on Moscow. Brussels introduced a ban on new Russian energy contracts at the beginning of 2026, with a complete ban on Russian LNG taking effect on 1 January 2027.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration recently announced the Lindsey Graham Act, giving the US the power to sanction Russian LNG deliveries to Europe before the EU’s import ban kicks in.
This comes at a time when Europe’s gas storage levels are at a record low, and the bloc faces a brutal energy crisis, leaving Brussels increasingly vulnerable to decisions from Washington, the EU’s major LNG supplier.
European LNG imports from the Russian Yamal project rose 9.5% year-on-year between January and September, with EU ports receiving 85% of Yamal’s recorded deliveries.
France received nearly three-quarters of September’s EU deliveries, with the Dunkirk and Montoir ports receiving 571.716 million tonnes of Arctic LNG, according to Kpler.
The Netherlands imported 146.461 million tonnes of LNG and Portugal 74.263 million tonnes. No cargoes were recorded in Spain or at Belgium’s Zeebrugge terminal.
The persistence of the Arctic LNG trade into Europe shows the difficulty of translating a long-term phase-out commitment into an immediate commercial break.
Ineffective short-term bans
The figures also raise questions about the effectiveness of the EU’s initial restrictions on Russian LNG.
A ban on imports under existing short-term contracts took effect on 25 April, but September deliveries reached 792,440 tonnes, slightly above the level a year earlier.
The EU’s full ban on Russian LNG under eligible existing long-term contracts is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.
Until then, continued purchases generate revenue for Russia’s war against Ukraine and expose the limits of restrictions that target some contracts without immediately stopping the wider trade.
“We have always assumed that the impact would not be particularly significant, since most of the export capacity is tied up in long-term contracts anyway,” Sebastian Rötters, energy campaigner at Urgewald, told Euronews.
“In addition, export volumes are generally lower in the summer due to maintenance work at the terminal and LNG shipments to Asia via the Northern Sea Route,” Rötters added.
The real litmus test for Yamal will be the EU’s phase-out starting in 2027, Rötters said, noting it may lead to noticeable reductions in exports due to the increased logistical challenges.
Call to strengthen 22nd sanctions package
The German-based NGO Urgewald is calling for the upcoming 22nd EU sanctions package to close loopholes, particularly those supporting the specialised Arc7 ice-class tanker fleet needed to transport LNG from the Arctic.
Yamal’s reliance on specialised vessels makes its export system vulnerable to restrictions on transport and associated services.
European ports are also geographically convenient destinations, allowing tankers to unload and return to the project relatively quickly.
Urgewald argues that disrupting those logistics could pile pressure on Russia’s ability to sustain Arctic LNG exports.
“The EU should not wait passively for the 2027 embargo to take effect. The next sanctions package should close the remaining loopholes, above all those that keep the indispensable Arc7 LNG tanker fleet operating. Washington, meanwhile, now has the power to sanction this trade at any time before then,” reads Urgewald’s statement.
However, such measures would require political coordination among the EU and its member states and could complicate European gas procurement before the import ban takes effect and ahead of an unpredictable winter season.
The data provided does not establish how much of the trade could be redirected to other buyers or what the consequences would be for European gas prices, but any additional trade disruption on top of the loss of LNG from the Middle East would have an impact.
Trump gains another lever over the EU’s energy security
US sanctions under the Lindsey Graham Act could disrupt trade before the EU’s ban on Russian LNG takes effect, forcing European governments and buyers to respond.
The US administration faces an 18 October deadline for its first review under the law. However, the deadline should not be mistaken for an automatic ban on Yamal deliveries, Urgewald say, as the law’s practical impact depends on how the administration exercises its powers.
“The US President must compile a list of ships transporting Russian LNG by October 18. These ships will then be subject to sanctions unless Trump issues so-called waivers. This is possible and, given Trump’s track record regarding Russia, not unlikely,” Rötters told Euronews.
EU imports from Yamal will depend on the goodwill of the US President from 18 October until the final embargo takes effect in 2027, Rötters stressed.
US sanctions have already severely restricted Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project and the Northern Sea Route, while Yamal LNG continues to supply Europe.
Data from Kpler shows that 706.473 million tonnes of LNG were destined for China, South Korea and Taiwan in September this year.
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