EU Imports Record Volumes of Russian LNG Amid Soaring Energy Costs

The European Union (EU) has set a new record for importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), despite plans to fully stop imports from Russia. According to Bloomberg, the EU imported a record 9.89 million tons of LNG from Russia's Yamal project in the first half of 2026.

Belgium relied entirely on imports of Russian LNG in July, importing around 400,000 tons of gas during the month. This was due to disruption in the Middle East, which curbed alternative supplies to Europe. The country's total LNG purchases fell by more than 40% year-on-year.

The EU has faced soaring energy costs after scaling back imports of Russian energy following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Natural gas has been the commodity the bloc has struggled most to replace since imposing unprecedented restrictions on Russia in 2022. Before then, Russia supplied about 45% of the EU's natural gas imports.