The EU boosted its imports of Russian LNG from the Yamal LNG project to a record high in the first four months of 2026, just before the bloc started implementing a phased-out ban on imports of Russia’s LNG, bne IntelliNews reported on Thursday, citing a report by environmental campaign group Urgewald.
Year to date, nearly every cargo exported out of the Russian Yamal project has reached a European port, according to the report, which has used Kpler shipping data to track EU imports of Russian LNG.
The EU welcomed as many as 91 cargoes from Yamal LNG between January and April, with the delivered LNG volumes 17.2% higher compared to the same period of last year.
“Europe has never imported this much LNG from Yamal in the first four months of the year since Putin launched the project in 2017,” bne IntelliNews quoted Sebastian Rötters, sanctions campaigner at Urgewald, as saying.
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The EU banned, effective April 25, imports of LNG from Russia under spot contracts as part of its wider stepwise ban on all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. A full ban will take effect for LNG imports from the beginning of 2027 and for pipeline gas imports from the autumn of 2027, under the EU’s plan to ditch Russian gas.
Ahead of the stepwise ban, the EU is boosting imports of Yamal LNG cargoes, with 97% of all Yamal Arctic LNG deliveries in the first quarter of 2026 going to the EU, Urgewald said in an analysis last month.
Europe paid a high price for the Russian LNG, “significantly inflated by a war driven spike in gas prices in March” with the attacks on Qatar’s LNG and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the campaign group warned last month.
Europe is bracing for a more expensive refilling season this year as it remains exposed to gas price volatility due to the loss of Qatari LNG volumes and the ban on spot purchases of Russian LNG.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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