Serbia's NIS refinery granted US sanctions waiver as MOL deal nears completion

NIS OFAC MOL Serbia sanctions waiver

The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) extended the operating licence for Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) until 28 August, allowing the company to continue processing crude oil and supplying roughly 80 % of Serbia’s fuel demand. The waiver comes as Hungary’s oil and gas firm MOL negotiates to purchase the Russian‑majority stake (about 56 %) in NIS. President Aleksandar Vučić said he expects the deal to be finalised in the coming days and that he will likely discuss it with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. The United States imposed sanctions on NIS in October 2025 because of its Russian ownership, and the refinery imports crude via Croatia’s Janaf pipeline. Record‑low water levels on the Danube in July cut fuel imports to about 25 % of the monthly target, heightening the importance of the licence extension for Serbia’s energy security.

Entities: Aleksandar Vučić · Dubravka Djedović Handanović · Gazprom Neft · Gazpromneft · MOL Group · Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) · Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) · Serbia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 2 SOURCES] A final agreement on the transfer of the Russian ownership stake in Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) to MOL is expected within the next few days. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[○ 1 SOURCE] If the current growth pace continues, Serbia could achieve more than 4% economic growth next year. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Serbia’s GDP grew 3.4% in the first half of 2024, making it the fastest‑growing economy in Europe. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Higher economic growth will translate into higher wages and pensions for Serbian citizens. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[● 4 SOURCES] President Aleksandar Vučić said he expects finalisation of the NIS deal in the coming days and will likely discuss it with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. (multiple articles)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Serbia recorded a real GDP growth of 3.6% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year. (supporting_article_ids)
[● 7 SOURCES] The deal involves transferring the Russian ownership stake in NIS to MOL. (supporting_article_ids)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Vučić reported fuel shortages and high oil prices caused by the war in Iran. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[● 8 SOURCES] Vučić said he will likely discuss the NIS deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. (President Aleksandar Vučić)
[● 6 SOURCES] OFAC extended the operating licence for Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) until 28 August. (multiple articles)
[● 3 SOURCES] MOL Group signed a framework agreement with Gazpromneft to purchase a 56.15% stake in NIS. (multiple articles)
[● 4 SOURCES] The licence extension allows NIS to continue processing crude oil and supplying the domestic market. (multiple articles)