EU Spending on Russian Gas Dips 2.6% in First Seven Months of Year, TASS Reports

The European Union's total spending on Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) declined by 2.6% in the January-July period compared with the same span a year earlier, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS.

TASS did not specify the underlying data source for the annual comparison in its report, but such figures are typically compiled from European trade statistics tracking energy imports from Russia.

The report noted that in July alone, EU member states paid 607 million euros for LNG imported from Russia.

TASS did not provide a breakdown of pipeline gas payments for July or disclose the total combined value of EU purchases across the seven-month period. The report also did not specify which individual EU countries were the largest buyers of Russian gas during the period in question.

Russian gas exports to Europe have faced sustained scrutiny since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, with the EU pursuing a broader strategy to reduce dependence on Russian energy supplies. Despite sanctions and diversification efforts targeting Russian pipeline gas, some EU countries have continued importing Russian LNG, which has not faced the same restrictions as pipeline supplies.

Further details on the methodology behind the reported 2.6% decline, as well as comparative figures from previous years, were not included in the TASS report.