EU Russian LNG imports rise 8% in January despite looming ban

Thursday 05 February 2026 - 15:40

By: Dakir Madiha

EU Russian LNG imports rise 8% in January despite looming ban

European imports of liquefied natural gas from Russia's flagship Yamal terminal jumped 8 percent year-over-year in January 2026, reaching nearly 1.7 million metric tons, according to data released this week by German environmental watchdog Urgewald. The increase comes less than a year before the EU's planned ban on Russian LNG takes effect.

Of 25 Yamal LNG cargoes shipped in January, 23 went to European ports in France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with only two heading to China, Urgewald reported citing global trade tracker Kpler. These figures highlight Europe's ongoing reliance on Russian gas despite years of efforts to cut dependence following Moscow's 2022 Ukraine invasion.

The EU remains the top destination for Yamal's Arctic LNG, taking 76.1 percent of its 2025 exports versus 75.4 percent in 2024. EU imports from Yamal totaled about 15 million tons last year, generating an estimated 7.2 billion euros for the Kremlin, per Urgewald analysis.

France leads European buyers at about 42 percent, or 6.3 million tons delivered to Dunkirk and Montoir ports in 2025. Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal received 4.2 million tons—more than all Chinese imports from the project.

"As Brussels celebrates the latest deal to phase out Russian gas, our ports continue serving as the logistical lifeline for Russia's largest LNG terminal, Yamal," said Urgewald sanctions campaign head Sebastian Rötters.

The EU formally adopted a regulation on January 26 to phase out Russian LNG imports by January 1, 2027, with short-term contracts ending April 25, 2026. The legislation appeared in the EU Official Journal on February 2.

Urgewald and advocacy groups call for accelerating the timeline, arguing the EU provides essential infrastructure enabling Yamal operations. The project relies on a specialized fleet of just 14 Arc7-class icebreaking tankers for Arctic navigation. Activists urge restrictions on British and French Arc7 carriers, claiming such steps "would directly reduce Russia's ability to sustain LNG exports during winter months."

These imports persist as European gas storage levels fell to 42 percent late January amid cold weather, spurring demand for Russian supplies.