The EU imported more Russian Arctic liquefied natural gas in the first four months of 2026 than in any equivalent period since the Yamal LNG project began exporting in 2017, according to new analysis of Kpler shipping data published by campaign group Urgewald — paying an estimated €3.88bn to Moscow during the period even as the war in Ukraine continues.

The EU received 91 cargoes from the Yamal LNG project between January and April, totalling 6.69mn tonnes — equivalent to 98% of all Yamal exports that reached their final destination during the period. The volume was 17.2% higher than in the same four months of 2025. For the third consecutive month in a row, every Yamal cargo that reached a final destination in April was delivered to a European port.

"Europe has never imported this much LNG from Yamal in the first four months of the year since Putin launched the project in 2017," said Sebastian Rötters, sanctions campaigner at Urgewald. "For three months in a row, every Yamal cargo that reached its final destination went to Europe. It shows that Europe keeps Russia's Arctic LNG business alive."

Following a big freeze this winter with record low temperatures, the EU went into the summer’s gas restocking season with record low levels of gas in its underground storage tanks which were around 29% full at the lowest point. As IntelliNews Lambda reported, a gas crisis is unfolding as refilling the tanks to the mandatory 90% full by the November 1 deadline will be difficult. European customers have been importing as much Russian gas as they can to close the gap, led by France.

Yamal LNG depends on a small fleet of specialised Arc7 ice-class tankers to move gas from the Russian Arctic through heavy sea ice. Those vessels require fast turnaround times at European ports during the year's most operationally constrained months. Europe is not merely a buyer — it is the logistical backbone that makes the project's export schedule physically viable, says Urgewald.

Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal was the single largest receiving port, taking 25 cargoes between January and April — approximately one tanker every 4.8 days. In April alone, Zeebrugge received eight cargoes totalling 587,482 tonnes, equal to 36.3% of all Yamal imports that month.

The price effect

The Iran war has inflated the value of each cargo significantly. Average TTF front-month gas prices rose from approximately €35 per MWh in January and February to €52.87 per MWh in March, before easing slightly to €45.21 in April. Urgewald estimates total EU payments for Yamal LNG across the four months at €3.88bn, based on benchmark TTF pricing and an energy conversion of 13.7 MWh per tonne.

Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of EcoDefence and a Right Livelihood laureate, said the timing of Europe's record imports was particularly damaging. "Russia is under enormous economic pressure. Ukrainian attacks on Russia's oil industry are exposing real vulnerabilities in the Kremlin's war economy. At this critical moment for the Kremlin, the EU still holds the reins over one of Moscow's key sources of revenue. But instead of cutting this source of income off and creating huge economic and reputational headaches for Putin, the EU imports record volumes of LNG from Yamal."

The sanctions gap

The EU plans to ban imports of Russian gas completely by January 1 and introduced the first restrictions on new short-term Russian LNG contracts from April 25 — a measure Rötters described as "a step forward." But the majority of Yamal deliveries to Europe flow under long-term contracts that are explicitly excluded from the current sanctions architecture. "As long as these exist, Europe will continue sending money to a Russian gas project that doesn't have a lucrative future without the EU," Rötters said.

Two ship-to-ship transfers were recorded in Murmansk in April involving Arc7 tankers and conventional LNG carriers heading toward China — cargoes that will be counted in May data. They represent the sliver of Yamal output not destined for Europe, and illustrate how difficult it is for Russia to redirect volumes away from a European market it was built to serve.

Urgewald is calling on European governments to immediately close remaining loopholes, address long-term contracts and target the maritime and logistical services that allow Russian Arctic LNG exports to continue.