The EU imported a record volume of Russian gas before the ban took effect, Reuters reports

The EU imported a record volume of Russian gas before the ban took effect, Reuters reports

In the first half of 2026, European Union countries imported record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal LNG plant, Reuters writes, citing analytics firm Kpler.

From January through June, EU countries received 136 LNG cargoes totaling 9.97 million metric tons, which is 16% more than in the same period last year.

According to an analysis by the environmental organization Urgewald, more than 97% of Yamal LNG shipments during those months went to EU ports, with the value of the supplies amounting to about $6.82 billion.

The main destinations were France, Belgium, and Spain.

Since April, the EU has banned imports of Russian LNG under short-term contracts, while supplies under long-term contracts are allowed until January 2027.

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