First published: June 19, 2026 at 08:04 AM
Last update: June 19, 2026 at 08:06 PM
Issue
Issue for June 19, 2026
This is the stable daily issue page at `/digest/2026-06-19/`: all updates for the day are collected in one feed with a verification log.
Last update: June 19, 2026 at 08:06 PMCards: 8Stories: 3
Fresh issue
June 19, 2026
The June 19 issue opens with Belgrade: the Assembly will again discuss a budget rebalance on June 25 after 9 billion dinars in additional revenue, while future metro works may close Bulevar despota Stefana for about seven months. The midday update added VJT's check of the alleged planned March 15 'sound cannon' simulation and new maximum fuel prices through June 26: 191 dinar per liter for petrol and 217 dinars per liter for eurodiesel. The evening update adds the NIS follow-up, where the Serbian side is waiting for a Gazprom Neft-MOL agreement, and a practical card on Belgrade's summer city-transit timetable, ADA 1-5 routes, and changes near Dr Zorza Matea and Karadjordjeva.
News feed
Issue cards
Nikola Nikodijevic told N1 that the Belgrade Assembly will discuss another budget rebalance on June 25 after 9 billion dinars in additional revenue appeared. He also said a full closure of Bulevar despota Stefana for metro works, from Cvijiceva to Pancevacki most, will be announced in advance and could last about seven months.
Context: Belgrade metro
The Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade asked police to gather information after finding a student working-group document about a January 22, 2025 meeting. Prosecutors are checking whether a simulation of "sound cannon" use at the March 15 protest was discussed then; N1 frames it as a procedural check, while Kurir presents the statement as support for the version that the affair was staged.
From Friday at 15:00 until June 26, a liter of Europremium BMB petrol will cost up to 191 dinar and eurodiesel up to 217 dinars. Both fuels are 3 dinars cheaper than the previous week.
Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said that, after signing the shareholder agreement with MOL, the Serbian side has completed its part of the NIS talks. She said Gazprom Neft and MOL now need to agree on the sale, with an outcome acceptable to the US Treasury's OFAC.
Context: NIS and sanctions
021 writes that the 2019 Smart Plan promised to overhaul Novi Sad transport but has been only partly fulfilled seven years later: JGSP received 100 CNG buses and 10 electric buses, while director Milan Balac says another 30-50 vehicles are needed. The city does not plan extra bus lanes because of parking and costs, ridership fell by 2.448 million passengers in 2025, and a new intelligent-transport strategy is expected by the end of 2026.
Beoinfo published two service changes: route 71 changes in New Belgrade from June 21 to 26 because of works on Bulevar umetnosti, while route 3A changes near Ada Bridge and Bulevar vojvode Misica from June 22 to September 1. The Careva cuprija stop toward Knezevac will not operate for route 3A.
Beoinfo says Belgrade's summer city-line schedule starts on June 20: 1,372 vehicles on weekdays, 970 on Saturdays, 910 on Sundays, and seasonal ADA 1-5 routes to Ada Ciganlija. The city also issued separate notices for Dr Zorza Matea works from June 20 to 30 affecting routes 76 and 77, and for the Karadjordjeva scheme from June 22 to September 1, with changes continuing for 2, 11, 2L, 2A, 51, 511, 601, and EKO2.
Danas reports that the new 2026/27 calendars for primary and secondary schools in Vojvodina require schools to plan one-day student visits to the specialized EXPO exhibition between May 17 and June 25, 2027. The Education Ministry had earlier said such visits are not a mandatory part of school activities and depend on each school's decision and parental consent.
Context: EXPO 2027 in Belgrade
Context
Long-running stories with updates
Stories
NIS and sanctions
NIS is Serbia's key oil company and the operator of the Pančevo refinery. This story follows how sanctions against the Russian stake in the company affect fuel supplies, Serbia's talks with MOL, Gazprom Neft, and the United States, and control over strategic infrastructure.
- On 5 August, the ministry said low Danube levels were making fuel-product supplies difficult. NIS expects to raise crude processing in the second half of August from about 9,500 to about 13,000 tonnes a day; the authorities plan to allow about 23,000 tonnes of operational reserves to be used by other oil companies. Imports of about 20,000 tonnes of diesel by water remain uncertain.
- On 2 August, Aleksandar Vučić warned that the Pančevo refinery might have to pause temporarily if the Danube keeps falling. On 3 August, N1 reported that the refinery was operating normally, the river level was not yet affecting production, and savings measures were being applied in other processes. No refinery shutdown has been announced.
- OFAC extended NIS’s operating licence, MOL’s licence to negotiate with Gazprom Neft over the Russian stake, and JANAF’s licence to transport oil for NIS until 28 August 2026; this preserves the company’s operations and crude-oil refining, but no final ownership agreement has been announced.
- The Serbia-MOL agreement signed on June 16 takes effect only if MOL acquires 56.15 percent of NIS and OFAC approves the transaction; under that framework Serbia is to acquire another five percent and raise its stake to about 35 percent, while MOL would hold control with 51.15 percent.
- The agreement provides for at least ten years of operations at the Pančevo refinery at capacity comparable to the four-year pre-sanctions average and uninterrupted operations at Petrohemija.
- On July 26 Aleksandar Vučić named the end of September as a target for technical completion. It is an expectation, not an announced signed deal; the immediate open questions are the terms of a Russian-stake transaction and operations after 28 August.
Timeline
How the story developed
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.
Stories
EXPO 2027 in Belgrade
This story follows preparations for the EXPO 2027 specialized exhibition in Belgrade: the budget, Surcin construction sites, the national stadium, infrastructure, and decisions that affect city services, schools, and residents' daily life.
- EXPO 2027 in Belgrade is an international exhibition project whose construction, infrastructure, school visits, and contract transparency are all part of the public story.
- On July 2, 2026, N1/Beta and Kurir reported that the Education Ministry sent primary and secondary schools guidance for study visits to EXPO 2027: the visits are planned for May 17-June 25, 2027, are not mandatory, require parent or legal-guardian consent, and transport and tickets for pupils are promised free.
- On June 26, 2026, N1 published reactions from residents of Studentski grad's F wing: they want a clear written guarantee of relocation under the same conditions, because Studentski centar's phrase "subject to capacity" leaves uncertainty over places, roommates, and a move during academic deadlines.
- On June 22, 2026, CINS published an investigation into EXPO 2027 contractors and suppliers in Surcin: the outlet did not obtain a full official list, but confirmed more than 200 firms through documents, interviews, and databases, including companies with criminal, political, or pro-government links.
- CINS examples include Makis beton, PZP Valjevo, NM Kop, C&LC Kameni agregati, CAP 1 ALCZ, and Betonjerka Cacak; Danas republished the investigation the same day in its economy section.
- On June 19, 2026, Danas reported that Vojvodina school calendars for 2026/27, like the Education Ministry calendars, require schools to plan one-day student visits to EXPO between May 17 and June 25, 2027.
- After criticism, the Education Ministry said organized EXPO visits are not mandatory school activities and can happen only by each school's decision and with parent or legal-guardian consent.
- The EXPO story is not only a construction and budget project: decisions around the exhibition are already entering school planning, the public dispute over voluntary participation, and questions about public-spending transparency.
- On June 24, N1, Danas, and 021 reported that Dom 2’s F wing at Studentski grad must be vacated by April 16, 2027: according to a Studentski centar “Beograd” notice, the block is allocated to EXPO 2027 from May 1 to August 30, 2027; Studentski centar later told N1 this is temporary relocation of some students, not eviction, and promised housing within its capacity under the same conditions.
Timeline
How the story developed
The Education Ministry sent schools guidance for study visits to EXPO 2027: N1/Beta and Kurir reported that visits are planned for May 17-June 25, 2027, are not mandatory, require parent or legal-guardian consent, and transport and tickets should be free for pupils.
N1 published reactions from Studentski grad residents: Studentski centar promises temporarily relocated students housing under the same conditions, but students want a clear written guarantee and point to crowded dorms, exam deadlines, and the unclear phrase "subject to capacity".
Media reported a Studentski centar “Beograd” notice: residents of Dom 2’s F wing at Studentski grad must vacate rooms by April 16, 2027 because the block will be used for EXPO 2027; Studentski centar then described this as temporary relocation of some students, not eviction.
CINS published an investigation into more than 200 firms confirmed as EXPO 2027 contractors, subcontractors, or suppliers, including companies linked to people from criminal circles and people close to the authorities; Danas republished the investigation.
Danas reported that Vojvodina school calendars for 2026/27 also plan one-day student visits to EXPO from May 17 to June 25, 2027; the Education Ministry says the visits are not mandatory and require a school decision and parental consent.
Stories
Belgrade metro
This story follows the Belgrade metro project: the first-line route, construction deadlines, exhibition and preparatory sites, and the roles of JP Beogradski metro i voz, Alstom, and city/republic authorities. For readers, it is a practical city story about how a promised transport project affects neighborhoods, budgets, and future mobility.
- On June 19, 2026, Nikola Nikodijevic told N1 that the exact date for fully closing Bulevar despota Stefana is still unknown because EPS cables and Interior Ministry infrastructure must be moved.
- According to Nikodijevic, once the metro boring machines start work, traffic from Cvijiceva to Pancevacki most will be fully closed for about seven months, and the city will announce alternative routes in advance.
- On June 14, 2026, N1 reported that a "Beogradski metro i voz" exhibition space is being prepared under the Slavija square plateau, but the company did not explain the space's purpose or opening date.
- The entrance to the premises has already been covered with metro drawings, although, in N1's wording, tunnel digging has not yet begun.
- Milos Vuckovic of Kreni-promeni called the exhibition space a "Potemkin village" and tied it to pre-election use of large infrastructure promises.
- Critics from the Po meri metro initiative continue to point to the disputed first-line route: through Belgrade Waterfront, not through Prokop and the Clinical Center of Serbia.
- On June 30, N1/eKapija reported that PowerChina requested a temporary construction permit for works on the Palilula side of the Savska-Dunavska tunnel, from the Faculty of Economics to Jovana Avakumovica Street.
- The project remains an important Belgrade transport story because official deadlines, the real start of tunnel works, and the metro's connection with existing rail/medical hubs remain publicly contested.
Timeline
How the story developed
According to Milos Vuckovic's reminder in N1's article, the authorities have been announcing Belgrade metro construction since 2016, when Sinisa Mali was mayor.
N1 reported that JP Beogradski metro i voz is preparing an exhibition space at Slavija, but did not answer what it is for or when it will open. Kreni-promeni called it a "Potemkin village" amid delays and the dispute over the first-line route.
Nikola Nikodijevic told N1 that future metro works will fully close Bulevar despota Stefana from Cvijiceva to Pancevacki most for about seven months, but the exact date will be announced after EPS and Interior Ministry infrastructure is moved.
N1/eKapija reported that PowerChina filed a request with Belgrade's urbanism secretariat for a temporary construction permit for the Savska-Dunavska tunnel, from the Faculty of Economics to Jovana Avakumovica Street. The request concerns the Palilula side of the future link; underground utilities must be relocated before boring, and works are supposed to last until 2030.