Europe continued to import significant amounts of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2026, despite international sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to a new analysis by the German NGO Urgewald, using data from maritime transport specialist Kpler, European Union ports received 12.18 million tons of LNG from the Russian Yamal project between January and September 2026, a 9.5% increase compared to the same period in 2025. The total value of these imports since the beginning of the year was approximately 7.88 billion euros, with 2.88 billion in the first quarter, 3.08 billion in the second, and 1.92 billion in the third. In nine months, no fewer than 167 cargoes of Russian LNG were unloaded in European ports, averaging one LNG carrier every 38 hours. The European Union now accounts for 85% of the deliveries from the Yamal project, which is operated in the Russian Arctic. Despite a slight 1.3% decrease in global exports from this site during the period, Europe has increased its imports. France received nearly three-quarters of the deliveries in September, while no deliveries from Yamal were recorded in Spain or at the Belgian terminal of Zeebrugge in September. Much of this Russian gas arrives in France, in part because TotalEnergies holds 20% of the Yamal gas project and has a long-term contract to purchase 5 million tons of LNG per year. France has several LNG terminals, notably in Dunkirk and Montoir-de-Bretagne, which allow the reception of this gas before potentially transporting it to other European countries, such as Germany. Not all of the Russian gas unloaded in French ports is necessarily consumed in France. European imports, however, slowed during the summer. In the third quarter, the ports of the EU received 2.21 million tons of LNG from Yamal, a 13.6% decrease compared to the previous year. In September, deliveries slightly exceeded their level in September 2025, with 792,440 tons of Russian gas imported, for an estimated value of 818 million euros. The first European restrictions on Russian LNG contracts have already taken effect. Since April 25, 2026, imports made under existing short-term contracts are prohibited. However, the effects of this measure remain very limited, according to Urgewald. The EU has imported more than 12 million tons of LNG from Yamal this year, which represents an average of more than 44,000 tons per day. The ban on short-term contracts has so far only slightly disrupted trade with Russia. Companies that had signed multi-year contracts can continue to receive Russian gas until the end of 2026. The aim is to give European companies time to find other suppliers without causing a supply disruption or a new price surge. It is therefore only from January 1, 2027, that all LNG imports from Russia must be prohibited. A deadline that could deprive Moscow of its main market for gas produced in the Arctic. The proximity of European ports allows Russian LNG carriers to make multiple round trips. The Yamal project in particular relies on Arc7 class icebreakers, capable of navigating the icy waters of the Arctic, including in winter. Urgewald therefore calls on Europeans to go further by targeting the services that allow this fleet to operate. Each additional month during which LNG trade continues practically without interruption means additional revenue for Russia, while Ukraine continues to suffer daily from missile and drone attacks. Another threat looms over Russian exports. On September 18, the United States adopted the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, a law allowing the sanctioning of actors involved in the trade of Russian LNG. The text targets in particular the leaders of the Yamal project, foreign ships knowingly transporting Russian LNG, but also the owners and operators of foreign ports that would welcome certain sanctioned ships or provide them with services. Its application, however, depends on the decisions of the American president, who also has the possibility of exemptions.