First published: July 1, 2026 at 08:09 AM
Last update: July 1, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Issue
Issue for July 1, 2026
This is the stable daily issue page at `/digest/2026-07-01/`: all updates for the day are collected in one feed with a verification log.
Last update: July 1, 2026 at 10:06 AMCards: 5Stories: 1
Fresh issue
July 1, 2026
July 1 issue: NIS's license is extended to July 31, RHMZ warns of showers, hail, and storm wind after record heat, University of Belgrade faculties await state-funded quotas, Zvezdara has a water outage, and the Lido pontoon bridge is open to pedestrians.
- 08:09 AM
Created the daily issue for 2026-07-01. Add cards as the source check progresses.
- 08:30 AM
Added cards on the NIS license extension to July 31, RHMZ storm warnings for July 1-2, delayed state-funded quotas for University of Belgrade faculties, a Zvezdara water outage, and the Lido pontoon bridge opening; updated the NIS story. Checked the baseline national sources, Google Trends, and Belgrade/Novi Sad city sources.
- 10:06 AM
Editorial QA checked the July 1 cards and directly linked NIS story plus June 30 cards/notes against their source URLs; fixed mixed Latin script in the Russian Novosti summary on RHMZ hydrological warnings without changing facts.
News feed
Issue cards
The new OFAC extension lets NIS keep operating until July 31: the Pancevo refinery can process crude oil and the market can keep receiving fuel. Danas writes that NIS remains under US sanctions because of majority Russian ownership, while MOL-Gazprom Neft talks on selling the stake continue without a public outcome.
Context: NIS and sanctions
Danas
Americans extend the license for NIS operations
(Amerikanci produžili licencu za poslovanje NIS-a)
Danas/BBC writes on July 1 that US authorities granted NIS a new extension for uninterrupted operations until the end of July, specifically July 31. The article says the extension lets the company keep supplying the fuel market and the Pancevo refinery continue processing crude oil. Danas recalls that NIS has been under US sanctions since October because of majority Russian ownership; MOL and Gazprom/Gazprom Neft talks on selling the majority stake continue, but their progress is not publicly known. Danas also gives the ownership structure: Gazprom Neft and Russian fund Inteligens hold 56.15 percent, Serbia 29.87 percent, and the rest is held by small shareholders.
Read sourceNovosti
NIS license extended: Pancevo refinery continues operating
(PRODUŽENA LICENCA ZA NIS: Rafinerija u Pančevu nastavlja da radi)
Novosti reported on the evening of June 30 a statement by mining and energy minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic: NIS's operating license has been extended for another 30 days, until July 31. According to her, this means the Pancevo refinery will continue processing crude oil, which she called especially important during the global energy crisis.
Read source
The first day of July brings a weather shift: after June records and 41 C in Kikinda and Palic, RHMZ warns of showers, thunderstorms, possible hail, and strong or storm-force wind on July 1-2. Short severe spells are possible in Belgrade, while maximum temperatures nationwide are expected to fall below 30 C from Thursday.
N1
Many temperature records broken in June: July 1 brings a weather change
(U junu oboreni brojni temperaturni rekordi: Prvi dan jula donosi promenu vremena)
N1 writes that on June 30 temperatures exceeded 37 C in 19 Serbian cities and reached 41 C in Kikinda and Palic, breaking numerous June records. The forecast says the boundary between very hot and fresher air creates conditions for strong showers with thunderstorms; hail, storm wind, and heavy rainfall are possible locally. In Belgrade, much of the day should be cloudy, with morning rain, a dry interval, and renewed rain in the afternoon and evening; the temperature is expected to reach 32 C.
Read sourceKurir
Prepare for severe weather in Belgrade and parts of Serbia in the next hour
(U NAREDNIH SAT SPREMITE ZA UDAR NEVREMENA NA BEOGRAD I OVE DELOVE SRBIJE!)
Kurir relays RHMZ's warning: on July 1 and 2 the weather will be changeable and unstable, with showers and thunderstorms; more intense local showers, hail, and strong or storm-force wind in rainfall zones are expected. The article also says July 1 will be slightly fresher but still warm, at 31-35 C, while from Thursday a noticeable temperature drop below 30 C is expected.
Read sourceNovosti
Warnings keep coming: Serbia hit by severe weather
(UPOZORENJA SE SAMO NIŽU: Srbija na udaru snažnog nevremena, od sparine ne može da se diše)
Novosti writes that RHMZ issued meteorological and hydrological warnings for Serbia and Belgrade on the morning of July 1. According to the article, July 1-2 should bring showers and thunderstorms, locally heavy short-term rainfall, hail, and strong or storm-force wind; a separate Belgrade warning is valid until early Friday, July 3. RHMZ also cited low water levels on the Danube near Bezdan and downstream of Novi Sad, the Sava near Belgrade, and the Tisa near Titel until Saturday, July 4.
Read sourceAfter entrance exams ended, University of Belgrade faculties still do not have the government's decision on how many students may study on the state budget. N1, citing the UB Rectorate, writes that faculties mostly relied on last year's quotas in their admissions calls because the decision was supposed to be made before the calls were published but is delayed.
N1
Entrance exams finished, UB faculties still await budget quotas
(Prijemni ispiti završeni, fakulteti UB i dalje čekaju budžetske kvote: Vlada kasni sa odlukom)
N1 writes on July 1, citing the University of Belgrade Rectorate, that UB faculty entrance exams are coming to an end, but faculties still await the decision on quotas for state-funded students. Most faculties had to rely on last year's quotas when publishing admissions calls for the new academic year because the government has not yet decided the exact number of budget-funded places. According to the Rectorate, applicant interest has increased, while the competent institutions still have not made the decision.
Read sourceBecause of planned works on the water network, consumers in several Zvezdara streets are without water on July 1 from 8:00 to 22:00, including parts of Dimitrija Tucovica, Presevska, and Milana Rakica from Batutova to Cingrijina, plus Cingrijina, Brsjacka, Bukureska, Gersiceva, Cara Jovana Crnog, Hektoroviceva, Spase Garde, Divcibarska, and Aradska. Water tankers are announced for drinking-water needs.
Kurir
Water utility announces shutdown: consumers in several Zvezdara streets without water today
(VODOVOD NAJAVIO ISKLJUČENJE: Potrošači u više ulica na Zvezdari danas bez vode)
Kurir writes that because of planned works on the water network in Zvezdara municipality, consumers will be without water on July 1 from 8:00 to 22:00 in the following streets: Dimitrija Tucovica from Batutova to Cingrijina, Cingrijina, Presevska from Batutova to Cingrijina, Milana Rakica from Batutova to Cingrijina, Brsjacka, Bukureska, Gersiceva, Cara Jovana Crnog, Hektoroviceva, Spase Garde, Divcibarska, and Aradska. Water tankers are provided for essential drinking-water needs; consumers are asked to prepare necessary drinking and basic-use supplies.
Read source
The Serbian Army has again installed the pontoon bridge across the Danube from Zemun's bank to Lido beach on Great War Island. The 345-meter bridge, with a 20-ton capacity, is open to pedestrians and city services from July 1; if water levels allow, it should remain in place until the end of August.
N1
Pontoon bridge to Great War Island installed
((FOTO) Postavljen pontonski most do Velikog ratnog ostrva)
N1, citing the Defence Ministry, writes that Serbian Army members installed a pontoon bridge across the Danube, connecting the Zemun bank with Lido city beach on Great War Island. The bridge is open from July 1, has a 20-ton capacity and is 345 meters long; pedestrians and city-service vehicles with a total mass up to 20 tons may use it. River Flotilla pontoon units are responsible for safety and maintenance during use. If water levels allow, the bridge will operate until the end of August, then be dismantled and taken back to its home garrison.
Read sourceKurir
Serbian Army installs pontoon bridge to Lido
(Vojska Srbije postavila pontonski most do Lida: Otvorena veza Zemuna i Velikog ratnog ostrva! (FOTO))
Kurir writes on July 1 that the bridge is open to pedestrians and city services until the end of August. The article repeats the key details: 20-ton capacity, 345-meter length, access for pedestrians and city-service vehicles with total mass up to 20 tons, with maintenance and safety handled by the River Flotilla.
Read sourceContext
Long-running stories with updates
Stories
NIS and sanctions
NIS is Serbia's key oil company and the operator of the Pancevo 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 June 11, 2026, minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said Serbia and MOL had agreed on the shareholder framework around NIS.
- The next step is an agreement between Gazprom Neft and MOL, followed by approval from the US administration.
- Before the current OFAC license expired on June 16, 2026, NIS requested a new special license.
- If Gazprom Neft sells 56.15 percent of NIS to MOL and OFAC approves the transaction, Serbia is supposed to buy another five percent of the shares.
- With that extra five percent, Serbia's stake would rise to roughly 35 percent, while MOL would remain the controlling owner with 51.15 percent.
- According to the minister, the Hungarian side has undertaken to keep the Pancevo refinery running at least around the average annual level of the four years before sanctions.
- By evening, N1 and Danas added expert framing: without changing NIS's statute, the extra five percent does not give Serbia new control, and the question remains dependent on Gazprom Neft, MOL, and OFAC.
- On June 12, Forbes/N1 added a check on an alternative Serbian buyer: Ranko Mimovic's company, tied to Reuters' report of a EUR 2 billion offer for NIS, had six account blocks over tax rulings in half a year and received a first court dispute for RSD 98,496.
- On June 13, 021/RTS carried Jelica Putnikovic's assessment: the next key fork is Tuesday, June 16, when existing NIS licenses expire, while the outcome depends on OFAC, concrete contracts, and guarantees for the Pancevo refinery.
- On June 16, the Energy Ministry and MOL signed a shareholder agreement: it takes effect only if MOL reaches a deal with Gazprom Neft to buy 56.15 percent of NIS and OFAC approves the transaction.
- Under the agreement Serbia is to buy an additional five percent of the shares, the Pancevo refinery should operate for at least 10 years at capacity comparable to the four years before US sanctions, and Petrohemija should avoid disruption.
- Aleksandar Vucic said from Tbilisi that, based on information he was receiving from Washington, NIS's operating license may be extended for another 15 days, but this had not been officially confirmed at the moment of his statement.
- On June 19, Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said the Serbian side had completed its part of the talks with MOL, and that the next practical step is a Gazprom Neft-MOL agreement acceptable to OFAC.
- On June 23, 021 reported that OFAC extended NIS's operating license and MOL's license for talks on buying the Russian stake until July 1; the previous licenses had been valid until June 16.
- On June 30, Danas reported that two OFAC licenses expire on July 1: the operating license for importing oil via JANAF and the license for Gazprom Neft-MOL talks on the Russian stake; NIS filed a new request several days before the deadline.
- Danas sources split in their assessment: one points to the risk of sanctions and NIS exclusion from SWIFT, another expects a new delay, while Serbia's authorities told the IMF they are preparing executive and legal measures if Gazprom Neft-MOL talks fail.
- Later on June 30, N1 added Hungarian context around MOL: the European arrest warrant for company chief Zsolt Hernadi remains valid, while Hungary is expanding its excess-profit tax on MOL based on the Urals-Brent price difference.
- On July 1, Danas/BBC and Novosti reported that the US operating license for NIS was extended for another 30 days, until July 31.
- The extension lets NIS keep supplying the fuel market and lets the Pancevo refinery continue processing crude oil while MOL-Gazprom Neft talks on the Russian stake continue.
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 Pancevo 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 Mimovic'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 Putnikovic'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 Pancevo 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 Vucic said he expects the NIS license to be extended by 15 days.
Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic 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 Pancevo refinery while MOL-Gazprom Neft talks on the Russian stake still have no public outcome.
This is the latest published issue.