Key facts
- Urgewald said the EU paid about 8.7 billion euros ($9.6 billion) for Yamal LNG in the first 10 months of 2026, citing Kpler data.
- That is more than one-fifth above EU spending on Yamal LNG for the whole of 2025, per Urgewald.
- France accounted for 70% of EU Yamal LNG purchases in October, with seven cargoes arriving at French ports, Urgewald said.
- Urgewald reported no Yamal LNG deliveries to Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal between August and October.
- CREA said EU imports of Russian LNG rebounded 60% month-on-month in September from August's record low.
- A full EU ban on Russian gas imports takes effect in less than two months, according to the report.
The EU paid about 8.7 billion euros ($9.6 billion) for liquefied natural gas from Russia's Arctic Yamal project in the first 10 months of 2026, the sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald said on November 12, citing Kpler data. That is more than one-fifth above what the bloc paid for Yamal LNG across the whole of 2025, according to the NGO's data shared with the Kyiv Independent.
In October, EU countries bought 705,591 metric tons of Yamal LNG, down 11% from September. Urgewald said rising prices meant payments rose 2.6% month-on-month despite the lower volume. France was the main destination, accounting for 70% of all EU purchases, with seven cargoes arriving at French ports, two in Spain and one in the Netherlands. Urgewald reported no deliveries to Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal between August and October.
The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air reported that EU imports of Russian LNG rebounded by 60% month-on-month in September from a record low in August. According to CREA, the EU remains the leading buyer of Russia's LNG, covering almost half of the country's exports. A full EU ban on Russian gas imports takes effect in less than two months, part of Europe's efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy.
"Losing access to Europe's market could deal a devastating blow to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's flagship Arctic gas industry," said Sebastian Rötters, a sanctions campaigner at Urgewald. "With just 50 days to go until the January ban, Europe must hold the line."