EU's Russian LNG Imports Hit Record High Ahead of 2027 Ban

The European Union imported a record 9.97 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) worth €5.96 billion (~$6.82 billion) from Russia's Yamal LNG facility in the first half of 2026, marking a 16% increase compared to the same period in 2025 as they front-loaded Russian energy supplies ahead of impending phase-out bans. Kpler data shows that European buyers absorbed over 97% of the Siberian facility's total output during the first half of the year, despite years-long efforts to overcome dependency on Russian energy. Overall EU…