The European Union decided in October 2025 to completely ban Russian gas imports to the EU market, as reported by Logos Press.
But so far Russian gas is coming to Europe. The European section of the 15.75 billion cubic meters per year Turkish Stream pipeline remains the only route for Russian gas supplies to Europe. Ukraine stopped transit of Russian gas in early 2025 due to the expiration of a five-year transit agreement with Moscow at the end of 2024, profinance.ru wrote.
According to the data, the total volume of supplies through the pipeline “Turkish Stream” in 2025 exceeded the nominal capacity of the pipeline, reaching 16.8 billion cubic meters.
The volume of supplies also exceeded the total volume of imports through this route in 2024 by 8%.
How is Russian gas moving to Europe?
Hungary and Slovakia, as well as non-EU Serbia, are among the main recipients of gas from the Turkish Stream pipeline. At the same time, these countries maintain relatively close ties with Moscow.
Russian gas via Turkish Stream can also be supplied to Romania, Greece, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Moldova and Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan corridor.
Bulgaria’s Bulgargaz was disconnected from Russian gas supplies in April 2022. However, in May 2024, government officials announced that Russian gas had returned to Bulgaria through “intermediary” companies.
Bulgaria and Serbia also play a key role in further transit of Russian gas via Turkish Stream to Hungary and Slovakia.
Imports to Slovakia from Russia were suspended in January 2025 after transit through Ukraine was halted, but it began importing gas through the Turkish Stream pipeline in February 2025.
In September 2021, Hungary signed a 15-year agreement with Gazprom to supply 4.5 billion cubic meters per year and is importing additional volumes.
In late November, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Hungary has already received more than 7 billion cubic meters of Russian gas in 2025.
Serbia continued to import Russian gas via Turkish Stream under a number of temporary contracts extended earlier. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on December 23, 2025 that a new agreement had been signed to extend Russian gas supplies until the end of March 2026.
Serbia had sought increased supply volumes and greater flexibility under the new long-term agreement with Gazprom, which was negotiated until 2025. But despite Belgrade’s request to extend the agreement, Gazprom offered only a short-term extension.
The current agreement provides for the supply of 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas per year – equivalent to about 6 million cubic meters per day – at prices that are 100 percent tied to oil prices.
As a result, Serbia has been able to pay less for gas than if the price had been linked to the prices of European gas hubs.
What is the origin of gas in Moldova?
Moldova, unlike these European countries, buys gas from European markets through the Trans-Balkan corridor (from Greece and Romania). Although this gas may be of Russian origin (mixed in the GTS of Turkey or Bulgaria), legally it is considered “European”.
Gazprom previously supplied gas to the Transnistrian region via Ukraine, but this route was closed after transit ceased on January 1, 2025. In early 2025, the possibility of supply via Turkish Stream and Trans-Balkan reverse was discussed, but Gazprom did not book the necessary capacity on a long-term basis, citing Moldova’s debts.
