Russian LNG Supplies to Europe Reach Record High in January

Exports of Russian LNG to EU countries reached a historical maximum in January 2026, according to statistics from the European analytical center Bruegel. The surge in imports occurred against the backdrop of the EU's final approval of a complete ban on gas supplies from Russia from 2027.

The volume of Russian LNG imports in January amounted to 2.276 billion cubic meters. This figure slightly exceeds the level of December 2025 and significantly — by 11% — exceeds the volume of supplies for January 2025, which amounted to 2.05 billion cubic meters. Most of the gas was supplied via four separate routes: "Nord Stream", "Yamal — Europe" (via Poland), GTS of Ukraine and "Turkish Stream", Bruegel claims.

At the same time, the EU increased supplies from other directions as well. LNG imports from the USA, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, increased by 18% over the same period compared to the previous month, reaching 8 billion cubic meters. About 772 million cubic meters of LNG were supplied to Europe from Africa, and 571 million cubic meters from the Middle East.

According to Bruegel, the total volume of LNG imports to Europe in January amounted to 12.2 billion cubic meters. This is 1.3% higher than the December 2025 figure and 6% more than a year earlier.

Back in December 2024, a group of ten EU member states, including Finland, Poland and the Baltic States, launched an initiative to immediately ban the import of Russian liquefied natural gas. On February 3 of this year, a complete ban on purchases came into force — LNG supplies will be terminated from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas — from September 30, 2027.

Read more on the topic:

• The new anti-Russian package of EU sanctions does not include a ban on LNG imports
• Russia will reach the planned level of LNG production of 100 million tons per year, but later
• Instead of LNG production — mining: IATEC has frozen the construction of a plant in Yamal