Shafaqna English– In response to surging demand and historically low water levels in the Danube River, Serbia’s Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic announced on Wednesday(5 Aug 2026) that the government will allocate a portion of the country’s only NIS oil refinery to other domestic oil companies during August in order to safeguard fuel supplies and prevent potential shortages.
Data shows that Serbia’s fuel imports in July fell to 25% of their monthly target, a direct consequence of record-low Danube water levels in Hungary, Serbia, and Romania that restricted barges and tankers to 30% to 40% of their full cargo capacity, thereby cutting off a significant portion of the country’s expected fuel inflows.
Source: Reuters