Russia's natural gas exports via pipeline to Europe increased by 37% in July compared to June, driven by the completion of maintenance works on the TurkStream pipeline. Despite this recent jump, Russia's total gas exports to Europe (pipeline and LNG) nearly halved in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, largely due to the cessation of gas flows via Ukraine. The European Union has set a roadmap to end its dependency on Russian energy, aiming to halt all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

The end of maintenance works boosted Russia’s natural gas exports via pipeline to Europe by 37% in July compared to June, data calculated by Reuters showed on Friday. Russian gas supply via pipelines to Europe has slumped since 2022, after Russia cut off many EU customers from its gas deliveries, and Nord Stream stopped supplying gas to Germany, after Russia reduced flows and after a sabotage in September 2022. 

Russian pipeline gas supply via Ukraine stopped on January 1, 2025, after Ukraine refused to negotiate an extension to the transit deal. However, some European countries, including Hungary and Slovakia, continue to receive Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline via Turkey and the Balkans—the only remaining route for Russian gas to Europe. Last month, Russia’s gas giant Gazprom sent 51.5 million cubic meters (mcm) per day via TurkStream to Europe, per the Reuters estimates based on data from Entsog, the European gas transmission group. The gas flows were 4.7% higher compared to a year earlier and 37% higher compared to June, when maintenance had restricted some flows. 

In the first half of 2025, Russia’s natural gas exports to Europe both via pipeline and LNG cargoes declined from a year earlier as flows via Ukraine stopped and some buyers shunned Russian liquefied natural gas. Total gas exports from Russia to Europe nearly halved to 8.33 billion cubic meters in the period January to June 2025, down from 15.5 billion cubic meters for the same period of 2024, when Russian gas was still flowing via a pipeline route through Ukraine, according to data compiled by Reuters. Russia’s total LNG exports also fell in the first half of the year, by 4.4% to 15.2 million metric tons, per data from LSEG quoted by Reuters. LNG exports to Europe slumped by 13% year on year, as an EU ban on Russian LNG transshipments came into effect in March. 

Earlier this year, the EU unveiled a roadmap to end dependency on Russian energy, which includes a halt to all imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027.

Russian Gas Exports to Europe Surged in July

Russia's natural gas exports via pipeline to Europe increased by 37% in July 2025 compared to June, driven by TurkStream pipeline maintenance completion. However, total gas exports to Europe (pipeline and LNG) nearly halved in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024 due to Ukraine's pipeline shutdown. The EU aims to end Russian energy dependency by 2027, with LNG exports declining as an EU ban on Russian LNG transshipments took effect.