This was reported by Reuters, citing statistics from TurkStream, the last remaining operational pipeline delivering Russian gas to European countries.
Pumping volumes to what was once Gazprom's largest market have dropped to levels not seen since 1973. At that time, during the initial major energy contracts between the USSR and Austria and Italy, Europe received 6.8 bcm. By 1975, following the gas-for-pipes deal with Germany, exports increased to 19.3 bcm. Consequently, Russia's current performance has fallen below the levels of the mid-1970s.
For comparison, record delivery volumes were established in 2018–2019, when Gazprom pumped 170–180 bcm annually to European countries, accounting for approximately 80% of all gas sold to the "far abroad" (non-CIS countries). Since then, supply volumes have plummeted tenfold.
China has now become the primary market for Russian raw materials. However, Beijing purchases the resource at a significant discount of approximately 40%. According to Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller, China acquired 38.8 bcm via the Power of Siberia pipeline in 2025.
Total Gazprom exports to the far abroad are estimated by BCS analysts to reach 78 bcm for the year. While this is 3 bcm less than the previous year, it is slightly better than the 2023 results (70 bcm), which marked the worst year for the Russian gas industry since 1985.
