Russia has delayed its plan to reach an annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) production target of 100 million tonnes by several years, citing the impact of Western sanctions imposed over the conflict in Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.
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Speaking to state television Rossiya-24, Novak said the original target was no longer achievable on schedule because of sanctions-related restrictions affecting Russia’s energy sector. He did not specify a new timeline but acknowledged that the setback would extend the country’s LNG expansion plans well beyond earlier expectations.
US sanctions force Russia to delay its LNG export expansion plans 🇷🇺 ⚠️
🚢 Plans to increase LNG production to 100 million tons per year by 2030 are delayed for several years: Deputy PM Novak
🇺🇸 The US sanctioned Russia’s newest LNG export plant, Arctic LNG 2, in 2023 pic.twitter.com/7PlOUi9FRS— Stephen Stapczynski (@SStapczynski) December 25, 2025
Sanctions Thwart Russia’s Plans to Triple LNG Production
Russia is forced to postpone plans to triple the production of liquefied natural gas for several years due to international sanctions.
This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, commenting on the impact of… pic.twitter.com/emE5DmcRVY
— Beefeater (@Beefeater_Fella) December 25, 2025
Russia has been seeking to significantly increase its share of the global LNG market, aiming to secure around 20 per cent by 2030–2035, up from roughly 8 per cent currently. Those ambitions have been undermined by sanctions targeting major projects, including the Arctic LNG 2 facility, which has faced difficulties in securing equipment, technology and shipping solutions.
Under an updated government energy strategy, Russia now plans to produce between 90 million and 105 million tonnes of LNG annually by 2030, and between 110 million and 130 million tonnes by 2036. These figures reflect a more gradual expansion compared to earlier goals.
Novak also said Russia’s oil and gas condensate output in 2025 was expected to remain broadly unchanged from 2024 levels, at around 516 million tonnes, or approximately 10.32 million barrels per day. This marks an improvement from a previous outlook shared by President Vladimir Putin in October, which had projected a one per cent decline.
Russia’s LNG production rose by 5.4 per cent in 2024 to 34.7 million tonnes, though this still fell slightly short of the anticipated 35.2 million tonnes.
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Looking ahead, Russia faces additional challenges from shifting global markets. The European Union plans to ban imports of Russian LNG from January 1, 2027. At the same time, competition is intensifying from the United States, which is expanding LNG sales to Europe, and from Qatar, which already dominates supplies to Asian markets.
These factors collectively underscore the growing obstacles to Russia’s long-term LNG ambitions.