Yamal LNG project faces new US sanctions amid continued European imports

Despite the European Union’s intention to halt Russian LNG imports by 2027, the Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic continues to supply European markets through complex supply chains. According to estimates by the environmental organization Urgewald, European buyers paid approximately 7.28 billion euros for Yamal LNG between January and September 2026, already exceeding the estimated total for the entire year of 2025.

Simultaneously, the United States has intensified pressure on Russian energy trade through the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act’ signed by President Donald Trump. This legislation specifically targets the Yamal LNG project and its majority owner, Novatek. The law requires periodic reviews to determine if specific entities meet the criteria for sanctions.

In response to these geopolitical shifts, the Danish shipyard Fayard remains the last facility in the EU capable of maintaining the specialized Arc7 ice-class tankers used by the project. The tanker ‘Nikolay Yevgenov’ is currently anchored near the Danish coast, marking the fourth vessel from the Yamal fleet to seek maintenance at the shipyard since June.