The European Union overtook Türkiye in September to become the world’s third-largest importer of Russian fossil fuels, behind China and India, as imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) surged, according to new data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
EU imports of Russian fossil fuels increased by 60% month on month, with seaborne LNG unloaded at French ports accounting for 72% of the increase. France’s LNG imports rose by 103%, with eight cargoes arriving from Russia’s Yamal LNG terminal.
The rebound helped drive Russian LNG export revenues to their highest level since January 2023. Revenues from unloaded LNG cargoes rose by 68% month on month to €75 million per day, a 44-month high.
Russia’s overall fossil fuel export revenues remained broadly unchanged at €625 million per day, despite a 6% decline in export volumes. The five largest EU importers purchased a combined €1.6 billion worth of Russian fossil fuels in September.
The figures highlight how continued European purchases of Russian energy sustain the Kremlin’s export earnings more than four years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
B4Ukraine calls on the EU to close remaining loopholes that allow Russian energy exports to continue benefiting from European markets and services.
The coalition urges EU member states and institutions to:
- Ban the sale of LNG tankers to Russia. Introduce a full ban as part of the sanctions review due by 25 October, limiting Russia’s ability to expand its LNG export capacity.
- End the exemption for Russian LNG transport to non-EU destinations. Close the loophole that allows EU operators to transport Russian LNG to buyers outside the bloc in 2027.
- Phase out all remaining imports of Russian oil and gas as soon as possible. Eliminate the EU’s remaining purchases of Russian fossil fuels and reduce the revenues available to finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The continued flow of Russian energy into the EU is not limited to LNG. Despite the bloc’s ban on oil products made from Russian crude, seven shipments from refineries processing Russian crude were unloaded at EU ports in September.
Refineries in India, Türkiye and Brunei that process Russian crude also exported €1 billion worth of oil products to countries imposing sanctions in September, a 43% increase from the previous month.
Meanwhile, 57% of Russia’s seaborne oil was transported by sanctioned shadow-fleet tankers in September, while a further 40% was carried by tankers owned or insured by G7+ countries, according to CREA.
B4Ukraine calls on the EU to move beyond incremental restrictions and accelerate the complete phase-out of Russian fossil fuels. Closing remaining loopholes and ending purchases would help deprive the Kremlin of revenue used to sustain its war against Ukraine.