In 2021, Eastern European countries imported almost half of their gas from Russia. Only two countries in the region – Albania and Kosovo – were wholly independent of Russian gas.

In 2024, five additional countries went without importing any Russian gas (six if Transnistria is excluded from Moldova’s import data). Russia went from supplying an average of 80% of each Eastern European country’s gas to 37.6% in that period.

“By early 2025, most Eastern European countries had drastically reduced or entirely ended their reliance on Russian natural gas,” Maximilian Hess, the founder of the political risk consultancy Enmetena Advisory and a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said in a paper for Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Only Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia continue to import limited volumes via Turkey and the BalkanStream network.”

Diversification was achieved through increased LNG capacity, Norwegian and Azerbaijani supplies and expanded regional interconnectors.

“It is a remarkable transformation that in 2022 many thought impossible. It has happened in part thanks to the EU being able to source gas from other exporters, but mainly because of the development of European liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity in the region and its neighbours, in particular Turkey,” Hess adds.

Hess went on to make a country-by-country breakdown of natural gas and energy supplies in Eastern Europe, with a focus on dependence on Russia and recent efforts at diversification:

Albania and Kosovo

• 2021: Entirely independent of Russian gas.
• Reason: Albania has sufficient domestic energy and low demand; Kosovo has no trade with Russia due to nonrecognition.

Austria

• 2021-2023: Imported between 83% and 98% of natural gas from Russia, depending on the month.
• 2025: No longer receives Russian gas.
• Significance: Plays a strategic role in gas storage and distribution for Central and Eastern Europe despite relatively low consumption (~6.9bn cubic metres per year).

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• 2021: 100% dependent on Russian gas.
• Current: Limited data, but likely still partially dependent via BalkanStream.

Bulgaria

• 2021: 94% of gas imports from Russia.
• 2025: Has largely ended direct Russian imports.
• Diversification: Secured new contracts with Azerbaijan; now primarily a transshipment route.

Croatia

• 2021: 55% of gas from Russia.
• Diversification: Significant use of Krk LNG terminal (capacity doubled to 6.1 bcm/year).

Czech Republic

• 2021: Near-total dependence on Russian gas.
• Diversification: Now interconnected via Poland; may still receive indirect Russian gas through Germany.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (Baltics)

• 2021: 74% collective dependence on Russian gas.
• 2022: Banned Russian gas imports.
• Infrastructure: Lithuania has its own LNG terminal (Klaipėda), Estonia is connected to Finland via Balticconnector.

Finland

• 2021: Heavily reliant on Russian gas.
• 2022: Cut off after applying to Nato.
• 2023–2024: Supplies via Inkoo LNG terminal and Balticconnector.

Hungary

• 2021: 95% of gas imports from Russia.
• 2025: Still imports Russian gas via TurkStream and BalkanStream.
• Policy: Pro-Russian energy policy under Viktor Orbán; continues cooperation with Gazprom.

Moldova

• 2021: 100% dependent on Russian gas (if Transnistria included).
• 2024: No longer receives Russian gas (excluding Transnistria).
• Current: Some reliance on TurkStream routes remains.

North Macedonia

• 2021: 100% reliant on Russian gas.
• 2025: Likely still dependent via Balkan routes.

Poland

• 2021: 78.3% of gas from Russia.
• 2025: No longer imports Russian gas.
• Diversification: Świnoujście LNG terminal (expanded to 8.3 bcm), Baltic Pipe from Norway (10 bcm) and new Gdańsk terminal under construction.

Romania

• 2021: 24% of gas from Russia; least dependent among major Eastern European economies.
• Future: Neptun Deep project to double production by 2027; expected to become EU’s top gas producer and net exporter.

Serbia

• 2021: 89% of gas from Russia.
• 2025: Still heavily dependent on Russian supplies via TurkStream and BalkanStream.
• Contracts: Benefiting from long-term, favourable deals with Gazprom.

Slovakia

• 2021: Almost 100% of gas from Russia.
• Post-2023: New government under Robert Fico reversed anti-Russia stance, pushing to restore flows.
• 2025: Receives limited Russian gas via Balkan routes.

Slovenia

• 2021: Approximately 80% of gas from Russia.
• Current: No detailed update, but likely diversified through regional connections and LNG imports.

Ukraine

• 2021: Major transit country for Russian gas.
• 2024: Ended Russian transit after not renewing contract.
• 2025: Controls key transit points, likely to require new non-Russian supplies post-war.