Diplomatic sources reveal that the signing of the long-term gas contract between Srbijagas and Gazprom has been delayed for four months, reportedly conditioned on Serbia halting arms deliveries to Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) publicly accused Serbia’s defense companies of supplying ammunition to Kiev despite official neutrality, increasing pressure on Belgrade to maintain close ties with Russia.
Despite the delay, Srbijagas’ director Dušan Bajatović secured an extension of the previous contract, allowing Serbia to buy 6.1 million cubic meters of gas daily at a price of €290 per 1,000 cubic meters until the end of September—significantly cheaper than current European market prices.
Serbia is actively working to diversify its gas sources and routes. Recent infrastructure includes a gas interconnector with Bulgaria, supplying Azerbaijani gas covering less than 15% of Serbia’s needs. Plans for new connections with Romania and North Macedonia aim to further reduce dependency on Russian gas, including future hydrogen transport capabilities.
Energy experts point out that Serbia imports over 80% of its energy, with roughly 80% of gas coming from Russia. However, inefficient consumption patterns and declining domestic production increase vulnerability. Despite extensive pipeline capacity and existing connections allowing imports from Hungary, Romania, and via LNG terminals in Croatia and Greece, Serbia remains highly dependent on Russian gas largely due to political considerations.
Experts argue Serbia could better utilize alternative energy sources such as biomass and thermal energy, questioning the economic rationale behind heavy reliance on imported gas.
