EU's Russian gas imports rise despite sanctions, report shows

Despite the European Union's efforts to curb reliance on Russian energy, imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal project have surged by nearly 18% in the first five months of 2026. Environmental and sanctions watchdog Urgewald reported that EU ports received 8.37 million metric tons of LNG from Yamal between January and May.

This surge, averaging one tanker every 1.3 days, underscores the significant challenges the EU faces in its transition away from Russian energy. Loopholes in the current sanctions regime have allowed these shipments to continue flowing into European ports, even as the bloc gradually phases out Russian gas imports.

The data, which relies on Kepler figures, reveals the complex reality of energy policy implementation. While Brussels has imposed restrictions, the continued flow of Russian LNG highlights the ongoing dependence and the difficulties in achieving a complete energy decoupling.