EU spent €8.7bn on Russian Arctic LNG in 2026, as import ban looms

The European Union spent an estimated 8.7 billion euros on Russian liquefied natural gas LNG from the Arctic in the first 10 months of 2026. This figure is exceeding its estimated bill for the whole of 2025 by 21%, according to an analysis by environmental campaign group Urgewald. According to the report, EU ports received 12.89 million tonnes of LNG from Russia's Yamal project between January and October, up 6.3% year-on-year and accounting for 81% of the project's recorded deliveries worldwide. Europe remains the main customer of one of Russia's flagship Arctic gas projects, the Yamal pipeline, despite EU leaders repeatedly touting the end of reliance on Russian Russian fossil fuels. The impending EU ban on Russian LNG imports from January 2027 could deal a major commercial blow to Moscow. Without access to EU ports, Russia would face longer voyages, higher transport costs, and fewer opportunities to redirect cargoes, particularly during the winter when navigation becomes more difficult. Questions remain over whether EU countries will enforce the ban without exemptions or last-minute concessions, particularly as winter approaches and concerns over energy security persist