The European Union made record purchases of gas from the Russian Yamal LNG project in the first four months of 2026. The increased demand for Russian liquefied natural gas is linked to geopolitical tensions in Iran, which forced EU countries to partially revert to the energy resources they had been trying to abandon.
This is reported by Finway
Record Purchase of Russian Gas
According to analysts, from January to April 2026, the EU received 91 shipments of gas from Yamal LNG, totaling 6.69 million tons — the highest figure for this period since the project’s launch in December 2017. During these months, Europe paid 3.88 billion euros for Russian gas, based on estimated market prices.
“The European Union received 91 shipments from the Russian Yamal LNG project from January to April, totaling 6.69 million tons – the largest volume for this period since the project’s launch in December 2017.”
Rising Energy Prices and Import Structure
The price of gas on the European TTF market has significantly increased: in January and February, the price was around 35 euros per megawatt-hour, while in March it jumped to 52.87 euros. In April, the average price was 45.21 euros per megawatt-hour. Thus, each new shipment for Europe was more expensive than at the beginning of the year.
In the first four months of 2026, 98% of exports from Yamal LNG were directed to EU countries — during this period, almost all shipments of Russian gas went to European consumers. China, which previously served as an alternative market for Russia, received only two shipments in the first quarter, with no deliveries at all in February and March.