Russia’s natural gas production fell 3.2% in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year, as increased exports to China and reinforcement of domestic consumption are not sufficient to cover the losses of flowing flows to Europe through Ukraine.

The total production amounted to 334.8 billion cubic meters of gas, with Gazprom representing almost two -thirds of the total.

The fall comes after the flow of flows through Ukraine since January, as Kiev has refused to expand the five -year transit agreement amid the Russian invasion. Last year, over 15 billion cubic meters of gas were moved through this route.

China, now Gazprom’s largest individual market, has only partially offset lost quantities. Natural gas exports to the Asian country through the Power of Siberia pipeline are expected to increase over a fifth in 2025 compared to last year, reaching the designed capacity of the pipeline, which is 38 billion cubic meters a year. In the first half of the year there were days during which the flows exceeded Russia’s maximum contractual obligations.

Gazprom has also increased gas exports to Slovakia via Turkstream, which is now the only active pipeline to Europe. Since April, Slovakia has been receiving quantities of multiple times in the first quarter and plans to cover up to 100% of its energy needs from Russian gas next year. At the same time, Gazprom started the supply of gas to some Central Asian countries under 15 years of contracts.

Inside, gas consumption has increased as Russia is expanding the national distribution network to cover more households and facilities. Prolonged cold spring in several areas also contributed to the increase in demand.

However, without new export agreements, Russian gas production will hardly recover significantly. Gazprom cannot further increase flows to China before 2027, when the new east pipeline is expected to be launched. Talks on the Power of Siberia 2 project, which could double the flows to Asia, have frozen.

At the same time, liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Russia fell 5.1% in the first half of 2025 compared to last year, reaching 16.5 million tonnes, according to the Federal Statistical Service. Moscow’s ability to significantly increase LNG production remains limited due to the sanctions imposed on the Arctic LNG 2, led by Novatek.