Finance
Factbox-Russia's pipeline gas and LNG exports
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
Russia’s gas exports to Europe—both LNG and pipeline—fell sharply in 2025 as EU diversifies energy sources. Kremlin shifts focus toward China and remains a key LNG exporter, while the EU accelerates legal phase-out of Russian gas by 2027.
Key Facts on Russia’s Pipeline Gas and LNG Exports to Europe and China 2025
Overview of Russia's Gas Export Dynamics in 2025
MOSCOW, March 5 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that it could be beneficial for Russia to halt gas supplies to Europe right now amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, rather than wait for a European ban on remaining purchases.
He pointed to new markets opening up for Russian gas, such as China, and linked any such decision to Europe's "misguided policies".
Following are some key facts about Russian sea-borne liquefied natural gas and pipeline gas exports:
Russian LNG Exports
Market Share and Export Volumes
*Russia's share of EU imports of LNG decreased to 16% in 2025 from 21% in 2021, according to Eurostat data. Despite the fall, Russia remained the EU's second-largest supplier.
*The U.S. increased its share of EU LNG imports to 53% by 2025 from 29% in 2021.
*Russia's total LNG exports fell by 2.5% in 2025 to 31.3 million metric tons, according to LSEG, reflecting the impact of Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.
*LNG exports from Russia to the EU last year fell by 16% to 13.8 million tons, LSEG data showed.
Sanctioned Projects and Exports to China
*Supplies from Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant rose to 1.2 million tons in 2025, the data showed, from just 200,000 tons in 2024. All the cargoes from the plant sailed to China.
*Last year China received 22 shipments of LNG from two export projects in Russia sanctioned by the U.S. and EU.
Production Targets and Sanctions Impact
*Faced with the Western sanctions, Russia has pushed back by "several years" a plan to reach an annual LNG output target of 100 million metric tons.
Russian Pipeline Gas Exports
Exports to Europe
Current Routes and Volumes
*Russia's pipeline gas now flows to Europe only via one route, TurkStream, on the bed of the Black Sea to Turkey.
*Russia's pipeline gas exports to Europe sank by 44% in 2025 to their lowest since the mid-1970s, following the closure of a major transit route via Ukraine and as the EU phases out fossil fuel imports from Russia.
*Exports via TurkStream to Europe increased by around 7% last year from 16.8 bcm in 2024, according to Reuters calculations based on European gas pipeline operators.
Main Buyers
*The main buyers of the gas via the route are Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia.
*Gazprom's exports to Turkey are around 20 bcm per year.
Exports to China
*Russia is striving to raise pipeline gas supplies to China. Its exports via the Power of Siberia 1 pipeline, the only gas pipeline from Russia to China so far, rose last year by around a quarter to 38.8 bcm, more than to the EU for the first time.
(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Key Takeaways
- •Russia’s share of EU LNG imports fell to around 15–19% in 2025, while US share rose to above 50%, with Russia still the second-largest LNG supplier (sofiaglobe.com).
- •Pipeline gas exports to Europe dropped to mid‑1970s levels, with TurkStream being the only active route, and pipeline exports down about 44% in 2025 (reddit.com).
- •Russia’s LNG exports to China—via Arctic LNG‑2 and sanctioned projects—are rising, while EU implements phased bans to end Russian gas imports by 2027 under REPowerEU (brusselssignal.eu)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Factbox-Russia's pipeline gas and LNG exports
1How did Russia's LNG exports to the EU change in 2025?
Russia's LNG exports to the EU fell by 16% in 2025, down to 13.8 million tons according to LSEG data.
2What is the current route for Russian pipeline gas to Europe?
Russian pipeline gas to Europe now flows only via the TurkStream pipeline through the Black Sea to Turkey.
3Which countries received gas from Russia via TurkStream in 2025?
The main buyers of Russian gas via TurkStream in 2025 were Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia.
4How has Russia's LNG export strategy shifted following Western sanctions?
Due to Western sanctions, Russia delayed its annual LNG output target and increased shipments to China from sanctioned projects.
5How did Russian gas exports to China perform compared to the EU?
Russia's pipeline gas exports to China rose by around a quarter to 38.8 bcm in 2025, surpassing exports to the EU for the first time.
