Czech Republic: Refinery tax debate and maritime attacks in Black Sea

In the Czech Republic, lawmakers are set to begin discussions on introducing an extraordinary tax on refineries for this year and next. The government justifies the proposal by citing rising refinery margins driven by global oil market conditions, with estimates suggesting the tax could generate between 5.5 billion and 9 billion CZK.

In legal news, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated that the state-owned energy company ČEZ will defend itself in a Luxembourg court regarding a ruling in the Diag Human case. The court blocked ČEZ's shares in certain companies used to own the gas distributor GasNet. Babiš noted that the company expects to succeed and that the ruling will not affect activities or customers within the Czech Republic.

In international news, Bulgaria reported a drone attack on two vessels in the Black Sea near its coast. One ship sank, and reports indicate eleven people are missing. Prime Minister Rumen Radev has requested assistance from the European Union and NATO, and has summoned the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova.

Additionally, Russian strikes in Ukraine resulted in at least four deaths in Kharkiv, according to regional administration head Oleh Synehubov, as drones targeted various parts of the country.