Issue for June 12, 2026

Serbia privatized NIS and the controlling stake moved to the Russian side. From that point on, ownership in NIS became not only a business question but also part of Serbia's relations with Russia, the EU, and the United States.

US sanctions against NIS became a practical threat to the company's operations and required special OFAC licenses so that NIS could continue operating while a solution on ownership was being sought.

MOL and Gazprom Neft announced a preliminary framework for the purchase of 56.15 percent of NIS, but the transaction remained dependent on OFAC, regulatory approvals, and a final sale contract.

Serbia and MOL announced a compromise on the shareholder agreement: Serbia gets additional governance rights, the Pančevo refinery is supposed to keep operating, and the key immediate deadline remains June 16, 2026. Later the minister clarified that Serbia had completed its part, but the deal now depends on Gazprom Neft, MOL, and the United States; evening N1 and Danas items stressed that without a statute change, the extra five percent of shares is not the same as control.

Forbes/N1 checked Ranko Mimović's company, which Reuters had linked on May 6 to a EUR 2 billion offer to buy NIS. KFT Senator Treasury G.T.7 Dva had its account blocked six times in half a year at the Tax Administration's initiative, and on May 28 a first court dispute for RSD 98,496 was opened against it; this deepened doubts around alternative Serbian offers for NIS.

021, citing RTS, carried Jelica Putniković's assessment that the key decision is expected on Tuesday, June 16, when existing NIS licenses expire. She tied the outcome to OFAC consent, concrete contracts, possible governance changes, and the future of the Pančevo refinery.

Serbia and MOL signed a shareholder agreement on the future management of NIS. It depends on MOL's final deal with Gazprom Neft for 56.15 percent of NIS and OFAC approval; the same day Vučić said he expects the NIS license to be extended by 15 days.

Dubravka Đedović Handanović said that after the agreement with MOL, the Serbian side has completed its part of the talks, while the final NIS sale now depends on Gazprom Neft, MOL, and whether the solution is acceptable to OFAC.

021 reported that OFAC extended NIS's operating license and MOL's license for negotiations on buying the Russian stake until July 1, temporarily preserving the company's operations and oil refining after the previous June 16 deadline.

Danas reported that on July 1 NIS's operating license for importing oil via JANAF and the Gazprom Neft-MOL negotiation license expire; NIS filed a new request, while Serbia's authorities told the IMF they have fallback executive and legal measures if talks fail. N1 later added that the talks are unfolding amid Hungarian political-legal risks around MOL: the European arrest warrant for Zsolt Hernadi remains valid, and MOL's excess-profit tax is being expanded.

The US extended NIS's operating license for another 30 days, until July 31. According to Danas/BBC and Novosti, this keeps the company operating, fuel supplies flowing, and crude oil processing continuing at the Pančevo refinery; later, N1 and Danas added that JANAF received a license until July 31 for deliveries to NIS, while MOL received a license until July 31, 2026 to continue talks on the majority Russian stake.

OFAC extended NIS’s operating licence, MOL’s licence to negotiate with Gazprom Neft over the Russian majority stake, and JANAF’s licence to transport oil for NIS until 28 August. This keeps crude procurement, deliveries and Pančevo refining running, but does not complete the ownership transaction.

The ministry said the low Danube is complicating fuel-product supplies. NIS expects to increase crude processing in the second half of August from about 9,500 to about 13,000 tonnes a day once already ordered deliveries arrive; the authorities plan to make about 23,000 tonnes of operational reserves available to other companies. Imports of about 20,000 tonnes of diesel by water remain uncertain.

Forbes/N1 reported that the Finance Ministry received a permit for preparatory works for the aquarium in Ušće park. The permit was issued on June 8, 2026, can be appealed within eight days, and the works should last about one month once the decision becomes final.

N1 reported visible works and water near the future Ušće aquarium construction site: soil, a water stream, a fenced hole, pipes, and a generator are on site, while activists announced a "Save Ušće" protest for July 5 at 18:00 near the Ušće shopping center.

The "Save Ušće" protest took place on the evening of July 5: the Zemun and New Belgrade assemblies blocked the roundabout by the shopping center, then the column moved toward Hotel Jugoslavija, while activists said they had filed an appeal against the preparatory works and were preparing a lawsuit against the Secretariat for Urbanism.

More than 70 civil-society organisations said the absence of an environmental assessment for the aquarium is contrary to the public interest. They seek annulment on appeal and an assessment.

According to N1, Danas, Kurir, and Novosti, a shooting incident took place at the Steak and Wine Bar on Autokomanda. The prosecution later said it suspected that some police officers had failed to carry out the necessary steps after the event.

The Senjak branch intensified through reporting on the killing of Aleksandar Nesovic and complaints of police violence during questioning. N1 stressed that prosecutors were not releasing details, citing the protection of the pre-investigation phase.

All four outlets wrote about the arrest of the commander and officers of Interventna jedinica 92. N1 and Danas stressed institutional failure and procedural violations, Kurir personalized the case through the figure of the commander, and Novosti relayed the official prosecutorial position.

N1 reported that the commander of Interventna jedinica 92 and a team leader were placed in custody, and later detailed the questioning of Mitar J., Jugoslav S., Nenad S., and Darko Z. After the questioning, the Higher Prosecutor's Office sought custody for Jugoslav S., Nenad S., and Darko Z., house arrest for Mitar J., while Slavica Radovanovic called MUP's work in the Senjak branch sloppy and amateurish.

Novosti reported that the preliminary-proceedings judge of the Higher Court in Belgrade extended custody for up to 30 days for Veselin Milic, Sasa Vukovic, Mario S., Danka V., Nenad L., Dejan S., and Jasna Z. in the Aleksandar Nesovic Baja murder case.

021 carried the Higher Prosecutor's Office explanation for dismissing part of the complaint against Veselin Milic: subsequent evidence and testimony did not confirm a call inviting Aleksandar Nesovic to come without security, Milic's presence in the restaurant at the time of the killing, or his removal of traces.

Prosecutors expanded the investigation into Aleksandar Nesovic's killing: Sasa V. and Mario S. are suspected of aggravated murder as co-perpetrators, Danka V. of assisting aggravated murder, and evidentiary actions were ordered against Veselin M., Nenad L., Vuk S., Petar U., Dejan S., Jasna Z., Milos J., and Dusan V.

Sasa Vukovic Boske, whom prosecutors describe as the direct perpetrator in Aleksandar Nesovic's killing, was questioned at his own request; lawyer Ivan Simic said the questioning continues on June 17.

Novosti reported that Vukovic Boske spent two days giving his defense before three Higher Prosecutor's Office prosecutors over suspicions in Aleksandar Nesovic Baja's killing at restaurant "27" in Senjak.

After the defense alleged threats to Veselin Milic in Belgrade district jail, VJT ordered the Second Basic Prosecutor's Office to identify unknown persons, while the prison administration said it strictly follows safety procedures for all detainees.

The Higher Court in Belgrade lifted Veselin Milic's custody, moving him to defense from freedom on the branch alleging failure to report Aleksandar Nesovic's killing at restaurant "27" in Senjak. In comments to N1, lawyers Vladimir Terzic and Bozo Prelevic tie that decision to exhausted evidentiary steps and to an investigation they say is already too compromised.