Europe purchased record volumes of Russian gas, worth nearly €8 billion

In the first nine months of 2026, European countries paid €7.88 billion for Russian LNG from the Yamal LNG project, despite plans to completely phase out imports starting in 2027, Euronews reports.

According to the German organization Urgewald, European ports received a record 12.18 million tonnes of Russian liquefied natural gas. This represents a 9.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Europe accounted for 85% of all recorded shipments from Yamal LNG.

 France was the primary buyer in September, accounting for nearly three-quarters of Russian LNG shipments to the EU. The Netherlands and Portugal also received supplies.

Meanwhile, a total ban on Russian LNG imports into the EU is set to take effect on January 1, 2027—a move that has sparked strong indignation among Ukrainian politicians and media.