Europe's natural gas storage refill for winter 2026 is challenged by reduced imports from Russia and Qatar, making it unlikely to reach historical fill records.

Since 2022, Europe lost much of its imported natural gas from Russia and Qatari LNG supplies due to geopolitical issues. This loss means Europe cannot refill its gas storage to past high levels, like in 2018 when injections hit a record 74 billion cubic meters. These supply changes put pressure on storage capacity and energy security heading into winter 2026.