EU countries imported 136 cargoes from the Yamal LNG export facility in January-June 2026, totaling 9.97 million metric tons, up about 16% from a year earlier and the highest first-half volume on record, according to Kpler cargo-tracking data cited by Reuters.
France, Belgium and Spain were the main delivery destinations. The increase came as the European Union implemented a staged phaseout of Russian gas under Regulation (EU) 2026/261, which introduced restrictions linked to contract type and tighter controls on LNG transshipment and reporting.
ACER said Russian pipeline gas imports into the EU rose 7% year on year and Russian LNG imports rose 11% year on year in January-May 2026. It also noted that gas received at an EU entry point is not necessarily consumed in that country because volumes can move across the bloc’s integrated market.
Yamal LNG is controlled by Novatek, with minority stakes held by CNPC and TotalEnergies.