European Union member states imported record amounts of liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Yamal facility in the first half of the year, EU data showed on Monday, ahead of a ban on Russian liquefied gas supplies coming into effect, Reuters reported.

The EU has banned imports of Russian liquefied gas purchased under short-term contracts since April, but imports under long-term contracts can continue until January 1, 2027, according to Agerpres.

Data from analyst firm Kpler showed that EU countries imported 9.97 million tonnes of liquefied gas from the Yamal project in the first half of the year, up 16% from the same period last year. The Yamal liquefied gas project in western Russia is controlled by private Russian company Novatek. China’s CNPC and France’s TotalEnergies also have stakes in the project.

According to an analysis by German NGO Urgewald, between January and June 2026, more than 97% of LNG deliveries from the Yamal facility reached EU ports. These figures demonstrate how important Europe’s support for Russia’s LNG sector is, even as the EU supports Ukraine in its war against Russia. “The EU is absorbing almost the entire production of one of Russia’s most important strategic LNG projects,” Urgewald stressed.

Urgewald also estimated that EU LNG purchases from the Yamal project were worth 5.96 billion euros in the first half of this year. The top three delivery destinations were France, Belgium and Spain.

In an attempt to cut off Russia’s means of financing its war in Ukraine, the EU has agreed to ban all Russian gas imports following the 2022 invasion. The ban is being phased in, however, to give companies time to find alternative suppliers.

The deadline for ending Russian natural gas imports via pipelines is September 2027.

Reuters points out that the increase in liquefied gas imports from the Yamal project reflects a broader trend of rising European imports of Russian gas this year. According to the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), in the period January-May 2026, EU imports of Russian gas via pipelines rose by 7% compared to the same period last year, while imports of Russian liquefied gas rose by 11%. Reasons for this increase include companies’ desire to expedite deliveries before the EU ban comes into force, as well as the ban on transhipments of Russian liquefied gas in 2025, which means more quantities remain in Europe, instead of being transported further to other countries.