EU Russian Gas Phase-Out: What Is Banned and What Still Arrives

The European Union is partway through a legal phase-out of Russian natural gas, yet Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is still reaching European ports. As winter approaches and storage sits below historical levels, the gap between the legal timetable and the physical trade is drawing scrutiny. This explainer sets out what the rules say, what trade data show, what officials and campaigners say, and what is still unsettled. Several trade figures come from a campaign group’s analysis and have not been independently audited.

What the regulation bans, and when

The Council of the EU formally adopted the regulation on Jan. 26, 2026, according to its press release. It prohibits imports of Russian pipeline gas and LNG in steps, with transition periods for existing contracts meant to limit the effect on prices and markets. EU countries had to submit diversification plans by March 1, and the Commission may suspend the ban for up to four weeks in a declared supply emergency. The Commission also plans to propose legislation to phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2027, the Council said.

The published regulation, (EU) 2026/261, sets the dates that matter. As summarized in EUR-Lex text and reporting on it, the ban on LNG under short-term contracts applied from April 25, 2026 and on pipeline gas under short-term contracts from June 17, 2026. LNG under eligible long-term contracts is barred from Jan. 1, 2027, and long-term pipeline contracts end on Sept. 30, 2027, or later if storage targets are not met. Those dates come from search excerpts of the regulation; readers should check the Official Journal text for legal detail.

What the trade data show

Euronews reported on Oct. 9 that, according to the German campaign group Urgewald using data from market intelligence firm Kpler, Europe paid roughly €7.88 billion for LNG from Russia’s Arctic energy project in the first nine months of 2026. A record 12.18 million tonnes reached European ports in January through September, and imports from the Yamal project rose 9.5% year on year, with EU ports taking 85% of recorded Yamal deliveries. Deliveries in September, at 792,440 tonnes, were slightly above a year earlier even though the short-term contract ban had taken effect on April 25. France received nearly three-quarters of September’s EU deliveries, the report said.

Urgewald energy campaigner Sebastian Rötters told Euronews that most export capacity is tied to long-term contracts, so the short-term ban was not expected to have a big effect, and that the real test would come in 2027. Euronews noted the figures do not show how much of the trade could be redirected to other buyers or what it would do to prices.

What officials say

Von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Oct. 6 that four years ago 45% of EU gas imports came from Russia, that the share is now 12%, and that “by the end of next year, we will reduce it to zero,” according to the Azerbaijani agency APA. The Council had earlier estimated that Russian gas still made up about 13% of EU imports in 2025, worth over €15 billion a year. The APA report also gave slightly different dates for the final end of Russian gas than the regulation excerpts above, which is one reason we point readers to the primary texts.

On Oct. 8 the Commission’s Gas Coordination Group said, after a presentation of ENTSOG’s winter outlook, that storage is below historical levels but the system is flexible enough to meet demand this winter, with infrastructure able to handle higher LNG imports. It said conditions differ from winter 2021-22 because of diversification, more import capacity and lower demand, and that LNG volumes will depend largely on temperatures. Separate search excerpts from industry and think-tank sources put storage around 72% full on Oct. 1, about 11 points below a year earlier; we have not verified that figure against the underlying data.

Sanctions and the U.S. lever

Euronews reported that a U.S. law referred to as the Lindsey Graham Act gives Washington power to sanction Russian LNG deliveries before the EU ban applies, with a first review deadline of Oct. 18. Urgewald said the President must compile a list of ships carrying Russian LNG by that date, and that sanctions can be waived. The group said the deadline should not be confused with an automatic ban.

Separately, bne IntelliNews reported on Oct. 8 that EU ambassadors approved a 22nd Russia sanctions package listing about 1,650 individuals and entities, mostly in the defence industry, with no new sectoral trade restrictions; foreign ministers were expected to adopt it on Oct. 12. Urgewald has called for sanctions to close loopholes around the Arc7 ice-class tankers used to move Arctic LNG, which this package, as described by bne, does not do. For related coverage see our reports on the Russian diesel sanctions easing and the Nord Stream investor talks.

Why it matters

The episode shows how a phase-out defined by contract type can leave large flows intact until the final deadline, and how energy security, sanctions and U.S. policy interact. Europe’s winter supply also depends on LNG from other regions, including the Middle East, where tanker traffic has been disrupted; see our explainer on the Strait of Hormuz talks. What to watch: the Oct. 18 U.S. list, the Oct. 12 formal adoption of the 22nd package, any proposal on Arc7 tankers, and storage levels through the winter.

Sources

• Euronews: EU paid €7.9bn for Russian Arctic LNG amid record imports (Oct. 9, 2026)
• Council of the EU: Russian gas imports, final green light to a stepwise ban (Jan. 26, 2026)
• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2026/261 on phasing out Russian natural gas imports
• APA: Ursula von der Leyen says EU will phase out Russian gas by end of 2027 (Oct. 6, 2026)
• European Commission: EU gas system prepared for the winter despite lower storage levels (Oct. 8, 2026)
• bne IntelliNews: EU ambassadors back record 22nd Russia sanctions package (Oct. 8, 2026)

Related sections: Geopolitics news and analysis · Warfare news and analysis · World Affairs