Oct 10, 2025
MOL will provide additional oil and fuel to Serbia in light of the sanctions.
Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, stated that Serbia can expect an increase in oil and fuel supplies from MOL, given that NIS is now under U.S. sanctions. However, he cautioned that this supply cannot completely replace the volumes previously received via Croatia, highlighting the risks of reliance on a single oil pipeline.
The U.S. has sanctioned the Serbian oil refiner and distributor NIS, which is controlled by subsidiaries of Russian Gazprom. Besides a small portion of domestic production, NIS sourced all its oil through the Croatian JANAF pipeline. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić noted that the Pančevo refinery can only operate until the end of the month, while current stocks of derivatives will last until year-end.
Szijjártó assured support, stating, “We stand by our Serbian friends. We are in constant contact, and since MOL is the largest energy supplier in the region, our Serbian friends can rely on increased deliveries from MOL.”
He reiterated that the supply from MOL would not entirely compensate for the volumes previously transported through Croatia, emphasizing the critical risks associated with dependence on a single oil pipeline from Croatia.
Additionally, the Hungarian government has criticized JANAF’s high oil transport fees and questioned the pipeline operator's capacity to meet all of MOL’s refinery needs in Hungary and Slovakia. MOL also receives Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
According to the Energy Community Secretariat, Serbia's oil and petroleum product stocks in July covered only 43.8 days of average net imports, falling short of the required 90 days.
The U.S. has sanctioned the Serbian oil refiner and distributor NIS, which is controlled by subsidiaries of Russian Gazprom. Besides a small portion of domestic production, NIS sourced all its oil through the Croatian JANAF pipeline. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić noted that the Pančevo refinery can only operate until the end of the month, while current stocks of derivatives will last until year-end.
Szijjártó assured support, stating, “We stand by our Serbian friends. We are in constant contact, and since MOL is the largest energy supplier in the region, our Serbian friends can rely on increased deliveries from MOL.”
He reiterated that the supply from MOL would not entirely compensate for the volumes previously transported through Croatia, emphasizing the critical risks associated with dependence on a single oil pipeline from Croatia.
Additionally, the Hungarian government has criticized JANAF’s high oil transport fees and questioned the pipeline operator's capacity to meet all of MOL’s refinery needs in Hungary and Slovakia. MOL also receives Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
According to the Energy Community Secretariat, Serbia's oil and petroleum product stocks in July covered only 43.8 days of average net imports, falling short of the required 90 days.