Belarus

OPEC+ keeps production targets unchanged for early 2026 despite market pressure

The group of major oil producers extends its stability strategy despite a drop in prices of more than 18% in 2025 and projected supply surplus for the coming year.

Global oversupply drove Brent crude down to $63 in December 2025

Brent crude fell to its lowest level since 2021, as persistent oversupply throughout 2025 weighed on prices despite isolated geopolitical tensions and China’s strategic stockpiling.

India’s Russian oil imports drop in January as Reliance expects no deliveries

India’s crude imports from Russia could hit an eighteen-month low as Reliance Industries anticipates no shipments in January due to logistical and commercial disruptions.
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Kursk II reactor starts at 240 MW, marking gradual power increase

Russia has connected its first 1,250 MW VVER-TOI reactor at the Kursk II nuclear power plant to the grid, signalling a key step toward full commissioning by 2034.

Belgrade hopes for swift Russia-Hungary deal to unlock NIS’s future

Serbia is aiming for a quick agreement between Gazprom and Hungarian group MOL on the sale of Russian-held NIS shares, key to restarting its only refinery shut down by US sanctions.

Storm in the Black Sea halts crude shipments at CPC terminal

Caspian Pipeline Consortium suspended loading and intake operations due to a storm and full storage capacity.
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Russian gas exports to Europe fall to 18 bcm, lowest level since the 1970s

Pipeline natural gas deliveries from Russia to the European Union dropped by 44% in 2025, reaching their lowest level in five decades following the end of transit via Ukraine.

Lithuania extends gas transit to Kaliningrad until 2030

Amber Grid has signed an agreement to maintain gas transit to Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, with a daily capacity cap of 10.5 mn m³ until the end of 2030, under a framework regulated by the European Union.

TPAO, MOL and ORLEN expand Libyan presence ahead of 2026 energy summit

Turkish, Hungarian and Polish national companies confirm participation in Tripoli's summit as Libya revives upstream investments and broadens licensing opportunities.
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Russia provides $9bn for Turkey’s Akkuyu nuclear power plant

Ankara confirmed new Russian funding for the Akkuyu project, Turkey’s first nuclear site, strengthening its energy ties with Moscow and advancing its domestic nuclear ambitions.

Nigerien junta rejects French accusations over uranium disappearance

Niger’s military regime disputes theft allegations by French prosecutors after uranium stock vanished from a nationalised site previously operated by Orano.

Rosatom confirms HTGR fuel resilience under extreme temperature conditions

Rosatom successfully completed a series of tests on its high-temperature gas-cooled reactor fuel, validating its performance at up to 1,700 °C under prolonged irradiation conditions.
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Solarpro inaugurates 450 MW solar power plant with LONGi modules in Hungary

Solarpro commissions Hungary’s largest photovoltaic plant using 700,000 advanced modules supplied by LONGi, with an expected annual output of 470 GWh.

Newcleo launches European safeguards process for lead-cooled modular reactor

French nuclear reactor developer Newcleo has submitted its lead-cooled small modular reactor design to Euratom, initiating the first regulatory phase to integrate nuclear non-proliferation safeguards at the European level.

Holtec and MVM join forces to deploy small nuclear reactors in Hungary

US-based Holtec has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hungary’s energy group MVM to assess the deployment of its SMR-300 technology, strengthening bilateral nuclear cooperation and opening prospects for a new market in Central Europe.
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Westinghouse secures $114mn contract to supply fuel to Paks nuclear plant

MVM Group has signed an agreement with Westinghouse to secure VVER-440 fuel supplies from 2028, reducing its reliance on Russia and strengthening nuclear cooperation between Budapest and Washington.

Sofia secures Lukoil refinery ahead of planned state takeover

The Bulgarian government has increased security around Lukoil’s Burgas refinery ahead of a state-led takeover enabled by new legislation designed to circumvent international sanctions.

India and Russia strengthen nuclear cooperation with new projects

Russia and India are preparing an expanded agreement for the construction of VVER-1200 reactors and modular nuclear power plants, while accelerating work at the strategic Kudankulam site.
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Three U.S. gas basins reshape prices, flows and contracts

Appalachia, Permian and Haynesville each reach the scale of a national producer, anchor the United States’ exportable supply and set regional differentials, LNG arbitrage and compliance constraints across the chain, amid capacity ramp-ups and reinforced sanctions.

Bulgaria passes law to take control of Lukoil refinery

Faced with US sanctions targeting Lukoil, Bulgaria adopts emergency legislation allowing direct control over the Balkans’ largest refinery to secure its energy supply.

Washington urges Japan to cut energy ties with Russia

The United States has called on Japan to stop importing Russian gas, amid rising tensions over conflicting economic interests between allies in response to the indirect financing of the war in Ukraine.

Trump reignites tensions over India’s imports of Russian oil

India faces mounting pressure from the United States over its purchases of Russian oil, as Donald Trump claims Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to halt them.

UK sanctions Rosneft, Lukoil and 51 vessels linked to Russian oil exports

The United Kingdom targets two Russian oil majors, Asian ports and dozens of vessels in a new wave of sanctions aimed at disrupting Moscow's hydrocarbon exports.
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Brent under pressure: traders expect prices to fall towards $60

Major global oil traders anticipate a continued decline in Brent prices, citing the fading geopolitical premium and rising supply, particularly from non-OPEC producers.

Ukraine prepares legal framework to accelerate small modular reactor deployment

A roadmap under development aims to establish regulatory and technical foundations for the deployment of small modular reactors, with the goal of strengthening national energy security and attracting private capital.

Naftogaz proposes integrating its gas storage into EU strategic reserve plan

Naftogaz urges the European Union to use Ukraine’s gas storage capacity as part of a strategic reserve system, while calling for the end of storage filling obligations after 2027.
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IAEA proposes local truce to restore power at Zaporizhzhia

The United Nations nuclear agency is urging Ukraine and Russia to establish a local ceasefire to repair damaged power lines at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which remains on alert after losing all external power supply.

China’s crude oil imports rise 3.9% in September

China imported an average of 11.5 million barrels of crude oil per day in September, supported by higher refining rates among both state-run and independent operators.

OPEC maintains demand forecast and lowers expected 2026 deficit

OPEC confirms its global oil demand growth forecasts and anticipates a much smaller deficit for 2026, due to increased production from OPEC+ members.
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Russia taps into Tajikistan’s rivers and cotton for joint ventures

Moscow strengthens industrial joint ventures with Tajikistan by leveraging hydropower, agriculture, and mining in a strategy based on mutual interest and economic complementarity.

Croatia targets Russian stake in NIS to maintain oil flows

JANAF is interested in acquiring a 20 to 25% stake in NIS, as the Russian-owned share is now subject to US sanctions.

Australia loses Asian markets for seaborne thermal coal

Falling Chinese imports and Asia’s regional pivot increase pressure on Australian thermal coal exporters.
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Rosatom begins excavation for small modular reactor project in Uzbekistan

The construction of Uzbekistan’s first small modular reactor (SMR) is underway, with 1.5mn m³ of earth being excavated in Jizzakh, marking a major milestone for the nuclear project led by Rosatom.

Kyoto Group commissions world’s largest industrial thermal storage unit in Hungary

Norwegian-based Kyoto has launched a 56 MWh thermal storage system at KALL Ingredients in Hungary, designed to replace natural gas with renewable-based industrial heat.

US sanctions hit NIS, a key player in Serbia’s oil market

Serbian oil company NIS, partially owned by Gazprom, faces newly enforced US sanctions after a nine-month reprieve, testing the country's fuel supply chain.
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Russia increases oil production and nears OPEC+ quota

Russian oil output moved closer to its OPEC+ allocation in September, with a steady rise confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.

Brussels moves forward with plan to eliminate Russian oil and gas imports by 2028

Ambassadors of European Union member states have approved the transmission of a legislative proposal to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by January 2028 to the Council of Ministers.

Russia formally exits bilateral nuclear agreement with the United States

The State Duma has approved Russia’s formal withdrawal from a treaty signed with the United States on the elimination of military-grade plutonium, ending over two decades of strategic nuclear cooperation.
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Oil rises 1.3% after limited OPEC+ output increase

Crude prices rose following the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies to increase production only marginally in November, despite ongoing signs of oversupply.

JANAF and MOL begin crucial talks on Central European oil transport

Hungarian oil group MOL and Croatian operator JANAF are negotiating an extension of their crude transport agreement as the region seeks to reduce reliance on Russian oil.