Russian Pipeline Gas Exports to Europe Hit Lowest Level Since 1970s
Russian pipeline gas deliveries to Europe plunged to their lowest level in decades in 2025.
The Gaze informs about it, referring to Reuters.
According to calculations, Russia’s pipeline gas exports to Europe fell by 44% year-on-year, dropping to about 18 billion cubic meters – the weakest level since the mid-1970s. The estimates are based on data from Europe’s gas transmission operators.
The decline comes as the European Union accelerates efforts to sever its dependence on Russian energy and limit revenues that could be used to finance the war against Ukraine. Brussels has said it intends to end imports of Russian gas entirely by the end of 2027.
Just a few years ago, Europe was Russia’s most lucrative energy market. In 2018–2019, Russian pipeline gas exports to the continent peaked at 175–180 billion cubic meters annually, bringing tens of billions of dollars to Gazprom and the Russian state, which holds a controlling stake in the firm.
That era has now effectively ended. In 2025, all remaining pipeline supplies to Europe were routed through TurkStream, the last operational corridor after Ukraine declined to renew a long-term transit agreement with Moscow that expired on January 1. Countries receiving gas via TurkStream include Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey.
Russia continues to supply Europe with liquefied natural gas by tanker and remains the EU’s second-largest LNG supplier after the U.S. Pipeline flows via TurkStream, however, remain marginal by historical standards, despite a modest rise late in the year. In December, daily deliveries through the route averaged around 56 million cubic meters, up nearly 13% from a year earlier.
Overall, exports through TurkStream increased by roughly 7% in 2025 compared with 2024, but this was insufficient to offset the loss of other transit routes. Gazprom’s gas exports to Turkey itself remain steady at about 20 billion cubic meters per year.
As The Gaze previously reported, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has revealed that the EU continues to pay Russia around €1.5 billion each month for fossil fuel imports.
Read also on The Gaze: EU Ambassadors Endorse Plan to Phase Out Russian Oil and Gas Imports by 2028