March the 3rd, 2022 - Croatian buses and Croatian companies are all making themselves available with either free transport for Ukrainian refugees or with food and accommodation offers when they arrive in the country.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak/Lucija Spiljak writes, the refugee wave of, at this moment in time, half a million people seeking refuge due to the war in Ukraine has activated all institutional mechanisms in the countries of the European Union, and companies are increasingly involved in helping refugees. Croatian buses are also busy transporting those who have fled their country.

Many Croatian companies have become involved in helping refugees with donations of money, materials or the services they provide. In the first step, the help of Croatian buses who can remove refugees from war zones is very important.

Free to Poland

The Association of Croatian Bus Lines announced that they are ready to make part of their fleet with more than 1,000 Croatian buses available. As Drazen Divjak, director of Arriva, explained, Croatian buses are ready to engage their services and drivers for the transport of refugees from the Ukrainian border areas to the safety of the Republic of Croatia.

"We want to give our contribution in manpower and vehicles because it's our responsibility, but also the only way in which refugees can be organised and efficiently transferred from the Ukrainian border to designated locations in Croatia," said Divjak.

They say from FlixBus that their teams are working tirelessly to come to the aid of Ukrainian refugees and offer free transportation across the border in the direction of Poland to all those who need it.

"Several more refugee buses have been added on the lines connecting Ukraine and Poland. In addition, we're additionally transporting all the necessary food and equipment to those in need. Our operational teams are at the border crossings to provide on-site support,'' said Ante Grbesa, the director of the FlixBus CEE South Region.

Humanitarian actions for Ukraine were also launched by Caritas, the Croatian Red Cross and the NGO ADRA Croatia, which made their human resources available and also raised funds. Social media has also been a source of help in the form of offers of accommodation to donations, food and beyond.

The Facebook group "SOS UA Ukraine" has numerous minute-by-minute posts in which Croatian residents are offering transportation and travel services directly to Ukraine in order to transport as many vulnerable Ukrainians as possible. They organise accommodation and all necessities. Additionally, the non-profit organisation Translators without Borders has announced that there is a growing need for translators who speak Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Hungarian, Czech, Romanian, Moldovan or German, to whom they have appealed.

7.5 million children in Ukraine are also facing a crisis and danger, so UNICEF is trying to step up its efforts to provide all the necessary humanitarian aid, as well as psychosocial support for children. Regina Castillo, Head of the UNICEF Office for Croatia, sent an appeal to Croatian residents, companies and the media to help the children of Ukraine with their donations.

Constant contact

The Croatian IT company Span, which also has an office in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, which is currently under siege, has expressed great concern, and they are in constant contact with 32 of their Ukrainian colleagues.

“Span immediately activated its crisis team, which aims to help our employees and their families in the most efficient way possible. This primarily includes assistance in reception, transportation, accommodation in Croatia, psychological assistance as well as assistance when it comes to bureaucratic affairs,'' they explained from Span.

Just like after the devastating earthquake in Banovina at the end of December 2020, chefs from the initiative "The chef is cooking at home" became active to help refugees arriving in Zagreb. Brodosplit provided a temporary home and food for two of the seven Ukrainian workers employed by the DIV Group company who arrived yesterday from Lviv and Ternopil.

Croatian companies are also trying to provide Ukrainians with a place to work when they arrive in Croatia. As such, the Bruketa & Zinic & Gray agency announced that it could provide office space for four Ukrainian designers/illustrators and help them find accommodation in Zagreb.

The Ministry of Tourism is also taking care of the accommodation of refugees, and Minister Nikolina Brnjac held a meeting with hoteliers recently during which she invited private Croatian renters/landlords who want to help reluctant Ukrainians to contact them with their options and offers by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more, check out our politics section.

March the 3rd, 2022 - With the Russians stepping up their wanton destruction in Ukraine following their unjustified invasion of that country around a week ago, what might happen to Croatian gas prices and overall supplies should the Russians press the button and simply cut it off to this country?

As Novac/Jutarnji/Dora Koretic writes, despite Russia's continued attack on Ukraine, Croatian gas prices for households shouldn't rise by more than 20 percent, as was announced by the government back in mid-February after the measures were presented, but all this, of course, falls dead in the water if the Russians do decide to cut off gas supplies to Europe.

Jutarnji made contact because of the level of interest in whether the calculation on Croatian gas prices presented by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic back on February the 16th was still valid, especially considering the fact that in the meantime, Russia had invaded Ukraine and gas prices on the market had risen significantly.

Prime Minister Plenkovic then presented a set of measures that would work at the state and government level to prevent the price of energy from increasing beyond measure, and the value of the package, according to the then announcements, was 4.8 billion euros.

It included a permanent reduction in VAT on gas and electricity from 25 to 13 percent and the equalisation of VAT on gas, electricity and heat, and in the period from April 2022 to March the 31st, 2023, VAT on Croatian gas prices will be reduced to five percent.

Monthly vouchers for the most vulnerable amomg us for electricity and gas were raised from 200 to 400 kuna, and the package also included a monthly fee for social service providers, 46,000 of them, as well as special one-time benefits for retirees.

As Dalibor Pudic, president of the Croatian Gas Association, told Jutarnji List, the price of gas on the world market has risen between 20 and 25 percent over more recent days, but if all the measures announced by the government are applied, there will be no major Croatian gas price increases for households.

''The prices of public services will be according to plan and in that sense the price increase for households, should not occur until April 2023. But when we talk about legal entities, here the matter is left to the market and contracts will be concluded at prices that will be valid at the time when individual entities renew those contracts. It's really difficult to guarantee that there will be no change in prices because the price of gas on the world market has risen between 20 and 25 percent and the situation is changing day by day,'' said Pudic.

The president of the Association of Gas Suppliers and Distributors of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Srecko Ezgeta, confirmed the same.

''When it comes to households, it's certain that the calculation presented earlier is valid, according to which Croatian gas prices for households will not increase more than what was announced. But the problem is what will happen if the Russians suspend gas supplies to Europe,'' Ezgeta said.

In that case, he continued, Croatia should be insured thanks to the LNG terminal, but the price of gas arriving by ship would certainly have a different price than the one we currently pay for Russian gas.

''Even if the Russians stopped the gas, we could still get it from other sources, but at what prices, it's difficult to say. In addition, if Europe's gas supply is at stake, it is likely that some other energy sources will have to be used,'' he explained to Jutarnji list, adding that the price of gas on the global market has risen due to the war, but not yet drastically.

For more, check out our politics section.

March 2, 2022 - A group of volunteers from the Association for Ukrainian Culture in Dalmatia - CVIT, with the help of a married couple conformed by a Ukrainian and a Chilean of Croatian descent, have set up a space to collect donations for Ukraine to support the refugees at the border. Here is what they need.

Yesterday, the people of Split once again showed their great heart, responding to the action of collecting humanitarian aid for Ukrainians organized by volunteers of the "Association for Ukrainian Culture in Dalmatia - CVIT", reports Slobodna Dalmacija. As we learn from Olga Kysliuk, a Ukrainian woman married to Rafael Barria, Chilean of Croatian descent who brought her spouse to Split, the space they rented for other purposes was made available to collect aid until further notice.

''We had a really good response today, even some Russians came to us with donations for Ukraine, so we decided to leave the door open as long as there is interest. A lot has been collected, and in contact with Ukrainians on the ground we learn that there is still a lack of medical supplies, compresses to stop bleeding and first aid kits, and thermal clothing and flashlights, along with hygiene supplies and instant food, so please adjust their donations to these needs'', Kysliuk states.

According to her, part of the already collected donations will be taken over by Ukrainian volunteers on the way to the border in the early morning hours, while the rest is being organized for transport.

''We do the best we can on our own. We are in contact with the embassy, ​​but the organization is on us. People from all over are really coming and offering what they can, and the smiles they come to our door are worth a lot. Of course, they are not in good spirits, none of us are, so we appreciate that effort. I feel much better today than in the previous days, because I did something useful, not just sitting and crying with my arms crossed while my dear people spend the night in shelters'', says our interlocutor originally from the newly destroyed city of Chernihiv, stating that her family at the last minute found refuge in the countryside, but still in Ukraine.

Donations will be collected at the same address, Ulica kralja Zvonimira 7, today between 16:00 and 20:00, and apparently in the coming days as well. Anyone interested in more information can call 095/542 4292.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

ZAGREB, 2 March 2022 2022 - The Croatian Association of Visual Artists (HDLU) strongly condemns the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine and supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, the HDLU has said on its website.

Expressing its support to the Ukrainian association of artists and cultural workers, HDLU underscored that it will not cooperate with institutions and individuals from the Russian Federation and Belarus until the aggression ends and Russian occupying forces are withdrawn from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine.

"HDLU will not issue its members who continue to individually cooperate with institutions and individuals from the Russian Federation and Belarus, with HDLU certificates regarding such cooperation until those individuals or institutions sign a statement on the condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and support to Ukraine's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders," HDLU said in a statement.

Last Thursday, the Croatian Academy of Science and Arts (HAZU) expressed its solidarity with Ukraine in a letter to Ukraine's National Academy of Science in the wake of Russia's aggression on Ukraine.

The Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) together with states that "they stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people following the invasion of Ukraine which violates the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation."

Croatian cultural associations and associations of artists and cultural professionals are joining in the condemnation of the Russian aggression and in the support to Ukraine.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - The Russian Home association of the Russian national minority in Istria County said on Tuesday it was "against war and any war events."

"Our business is the Russian language and nurturing Russian culture among those living outside their homeland," the association said in a press release.

It has about 200 members, not just Russians, but also other nationalities from the former Soviet Union, including Ukrainians.

"We feel pain because thousands of innocent people are suffering and blood is being spilt. We feel despair because it seems as though this war was started on behalf of all Russians, which is absolutely incorrect," the association said, appealing to "everyone not to link the Russian language and culture with politics and aggression."

It added that "a peaceful coexistence in a multicultural area is a way to open to the whole world, that's tolerance and respect for people from different countries and of different faiths."

"We are for peace and friendship between peoples," the association said.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

ZAGREB, 2 March 2022 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Wednesday Europe would be faced with a refugee influx unseen since WWII, and that no country could deal with that alone.

According to last night's numbers by Frontex, more than 600,000 people from Ukraine have entered the EU, he said on Croatian Radio.

The influx is not big yet because the UNHCR and other agencies estimate that five million people could leave Ukraine, Božinović added.

This is a humanitarian situation that is becoming dramatic, and can be dealt with only if everyone stands together, he said.

Speaking of meetings of EU interior ministers and what they had to agree on, Božinović said it was necessary to resolve the status of refugees first as more and more would be coming. "This is an exodus for which an adequate response will have to be found."

545 Ukrainian refugees in Croatia to date

Božinović said 545 Ukrainian refugees had arrived in Croatia and that 39 were in reception centres, while the rest were in private accommodation.

He said Croatia must prepare for a major influx as almost 100,000 had entered Hungary. It is difficult to expect Russia to stop at the moment as it is preparing a bigger escalation with attacks on Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol, he added.

Božinović said the entire Civil Protection system was getting ready, together with the health and education systems, so that the arrival of refugees passed with as little difficulty as possible.

Accommodation capacity will be expanded as needed, there are plans for using numerous state-owned facilities, and meetings are being held with the Croatian Tourist Board, hoteliers and the Tourism Ministry, he added.

Božinović went on to say that Croatia's first relief convoy left for Ukraine at 3 am today and that such things should be organised well by the institutions in charge.

Europe has no alternative but to defend its values

Commenting on Russia's threat that the countries donating military equipment to Ukraine, including Croatia, would be held accountable, he said not only NATO member states but neutral ones as well had decided to do that.

"Today we are seeing a change of the paradigm that has been in force in Europe since World War II and determination that everything that Europe has achieved must not be brought into question," Božinović said, adding that in that time the EU has become the most developed part of the world alongside the US, an area where human rights are protected and technology and living standards progress.

"If someone threatens that, and this is a threat, they will face a very clear and harsh European response because Europe has no alternative but to defend its values."

Speaking of fears that some might use the Ukraine crisis to destabilise Southeast Europe, Božinović said there were always some who were interested in destabilisation, those thinking their only trump card was force and armament, and that one could see in Ukraine that stability did not suit them.

As for Southeast Europe, he said the most important stakeholders had sent messages to every country in the region and that he was sure they would consider them well.

To be in Europe and not head for integration is not smart

Commenting on the stand of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who has not imposed sanctions on Russia and is accusing Croatian politicians, Božinović said "it's a rhetoric we are used to." 

"Now is the time for states which have doubts to make the best long-term decisions for the future of their citizens because to be in Europe and not head for integration is not the smartest thing to do", he added.

Božinović also said he expected the political unity of the opposition and those in power on Ukraine to continue in Croatia.

The government's position is clear and one of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's first visits was to Ukraine, which is just one sign of knowing the situation and Ukraine's importance for Europe and our bilateral relations, he added.

Speaking on coronavirus, he said there were about 2,500 new cases today, 33% fewer than a week ago, a sign the steep decrease was continuing.

"If such trends continue, we will consider further relaxing restrictions", said Božinović, who heads the national COVID-19 crisis management team.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

ZAGREB, 2 March 2022 - Croatian Ambassador to Ukraine Anica Djamić has left Kyiv and is en route to Lviv, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday.

"Given the deteriorating security situation in Kyiv and the attacks on Ukraine's capital, yesterday I instructed our Ambassador Anica Djamić to leave Kyiv," he told the press.

The ambassador is en route to Lviv, where she will stay and do her duty, helping Croatian nationals and following the situation in Ukraine.

"She is fine and we are believe that in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, she will be safe," Plenković said.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

ZAGREB, 2 March 2022 - The future of Europe depends on the fate of Kyiv, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in the Croatian parliament on Wednesday, once again condemning Russia's aggression in the strongest terms and commending the Ukrainian army and people for a heroic resistance.

"A quarter century after the Homeland War, a war is raging on European soil again. To the shock of the whole world, Russia's unprovoked brutal aggression on Ukraine is in its seventh day. There has been no war of such force and such extent in Europe for 77 years," he said, presenting a report on the Ukraine situation.

The "gross violation of international law" already has "far-reaching consequences for the whole world" and this crisis will most likely last a while, Plenković said.

He reiterated that Croatia "condemns the Russian aggression in the strongest terms and extends full support to the Ukrainian people who at this moment is once again dying for European values."

He congratulated Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on their courage.

Plenković said this was "a war between David and Goliath in which Russia is attacking the 28 times smaller Ukraine," adding that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine the victim.

Croatia is sending Ukraine HRK 124 million worth of weapons, ammunition and protective gear for the infantry. The European Union (EU) has ensured €500 million for the procurement of protective and military equipment.

Ukrainians won't bow down

Plenković said that Croatia had shown, with its partners in the EU, determination, solidarity and unity, and that this war had identified the need for energy autonomy and strengthening defence capabilities.

He said Croatia had always advocated Ukraine's European perspective, recalling that he and Zelenskyy signed a Declaration on that perspective in Kyiv last December.

Plenković said the war in Ukraine revived memories of Croatia's Homeland War. "All those images revive in Croatia painful memories of the Milošević regime's Great Serbian aggression and the horrors of war that we went through."

He congratulated Croatian MPs on the unanimous condemnation of Russia and solidarity with Ukraine, saying he was pleased that the parliamentary majority and the opposition are "on the right side of justice and freedom."

Attending the parliamentary debate were Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Kyrylych and members of the Ukrainian minority. The Ukrainian flag was also displayed.

"By supporting Ukraine and respecting the courage of Ukrainians not to run away from tanks, not to give in to blackmail, not to bow down, to be inspired by love for the homeland like the Croats were in the Homeland War, let's stand with Ukraine and Ukrainians today. Glory to Ukraine," Plenković said to a round of applause.

For more on the Ukraine crisis and Croatia, as well as breaking news, follow our news section.

March the 2nd, 2022 - With the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating the world's headlines, harsh sanctions being imposed against Russia and inflation rising, just how will the unjustified attack on Ukraine affect Croatian exporters?

As Jutarnji/Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes, the alarming situation on the Russian market is changing from moment to moment as a result of sanctions imposed by many countries following the invasion of Ukraine. The only thing that is certain is that it is uncertain and unfavourable for the business of most Croatian exporters in respect to that market.

In addition, the situation was aggravated by a record devaluation of the Russian ruble, so much so that economic analysts proposed to the Croatian Government to facilitate the operations of Croatian companies and in some way compensate for the losses incurred by this unprecedented situation. At the end of last year, one euro stood at around 80 rubles, and now, according to the official exchange rate, 120 rubles should be set aside for that same amount.

Insiders have claimed that the situation is such that in Russia, banks need to set aside as much as 135 rubles for just one euro. The weakening of the Russian ruble reduces the income of companies and this will certainly affect the business results of companies operating in the Russian market, but this isn't the main problem because this can be solved to some extent by sharing the burden between manufacturers and customers. In any case, it's necessary to compensate for the negative aspects created by the weakening of the Russian ruble.

This is more or less the common opinion of Croatian exporters and others operating in the Russian market, both of those who wanted and those who didn't want to publicly comment on the situation regarding the exchange rate of the ruble. They consider the uncertainty and the situation related to the expulsion of several Russian banks from SWIFT to be a bigger problem. In any case, companies can partially protect themselves from the weakening of the exchange rate, but they must talk to the buyers of their products. They also expect the support of the Croatian Government.

Solinski AD Plastik Group has two factories in Russia and their revenue from the Russian market, depending on the situation, amounts to about 25 percent.

''Our Russian factories produce exclusively for the Russian market and for now we're working according to plan, but there's a lot of uncertainty. Currently, our business is most affected by the weakening of the ruble, but we're trying to manage the situation to minimise the consequences. Unfortunately, we're in a situation over which we don't really have much influence,'' said Marinko Dosen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group.

The Split-based Adria Winch has well protected itself in terms of exchange rates and the collection of completed transactions on the Russian market.

''All of our contracts with Russian partners use euros, we also did something else to protect both us and our partner. We took very high advances for contracted jobs. They amount to about 70 percent. However, the devaluation of the ruble puts our partners in the Russian market at a disadvantage. The question is how they will bridge it. Such a situation cannot make anyone happy,'' explained Milivoj Peruzovic, board member and owner of Adria Winch.

This year, Postirska Sardina was supposed to place about 500,000 cans of its fish over on the Russian market. Davor Gabela, sales director and co-owner of that company, says that the interests of Croatian exporters in the Russian market should be protected, including proper compensation for losses caused by the weakening of the ruble.

''After the New Year, we exported one truck to the Russian market, and I can't say at this moment in time what will happen to the rest of our planned exports. The weakening of the ruble's exchange rate is such that the question is whether our distributor will even accept the conditions imposed by this circumstance. It's always worth exporting if the importer agrees to import because the devaluation of the ruble increases its price due to exchange rate differences. The Ukrainian market is much more important to us because we export more there. This week we were supposed to have a delivery that was stopped because it's almost impossible to deliver the goods to Kyiv. We're going send humanitarian aid there in the coming days,'' Davor Gabela assured.

Gordan Pesic, head of development and business at the well known company Dok Ing from Zagreb, says that for their company, the Russian market is just one of many where they market their products and that it likely won't have much of an effect on their business.

''I agree that the Croatian Government should help Croatian exporters to maintain their positions on the Russian market and compensate them for the losses caused by the devaluation of the ruble,'' said Pesic.

President of the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies, Tomislav Fain, also says that in this situation when air connections with Russia are cut off and Russian planes are banned, it is difficult to think about the arrival of Russian guests and all the accompanying unfavourable circumstances such as the devaluation of the ruble.

''We expect that the war conflicts will stop as soon as possible and that the situation in that region will not affect other markets,'' he said, adding that the most important thing above all is that the war ends. In terms of the the total number of passengers in 2021, Russian and Ukrainian tourists accounted for about four percent of the traffic of Dubrovnik Airport passengers.

''The war going on in Ukraine will certainly have an impact on tourist traffic, but what kind of impact that will is currently very difficult to assess. We, as Dubrovnik Airport, aren't able to do that now. The impact on air traffic across Europe already exists, as parts of the airspace in Ukraine are closed, as is traffic between Russia and the EU. We aren't able to to provide an answer as to how long these restrictions will last,'' said Frano Luetic, the director of Dubrovnik Airport.

For more on Croatian exporters, check out our business section.

March the 1st, 2022 - One huge Iskra investment, made by the well known Sibenik-based company, has had to be halted in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which occurred just several days ago.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, the current outbreak of war in Ukraine following an unjustified Russian invasion has currently halted activities on a project that is vital to Iskra Brodogradiliste 1's largest strategic investment in Sibenik.

Uncertainty loomed over the construction of a floating dock for the overhaul of a 5,000-tonne, 120-metre-long ship, contracted back in November last year with Ukraine's well known Pallada shipyard in Kherson. However, the solidarity of the local people of Sibenik is being shown in action. According to the claims of the director of that Sibenik shipyard, Rok Vuletic, the work in the Ukrainian shipyard, which specialises in the construction of docks, has been suspended due to the state of emergency, and people have been invited to stay at home.

"We're monitoring the development of the unfolding situation, and for now the only thing we're thinking about is that we hope that as few people as possible are suffering. We stand in solidarity with Ukrainian partners; namely, we in Croatia also have the experience of war, so we have full understanding for the situation in which they've found themselves,'' Vuletic pointed out, adding that they hope for an end to the ongoing war operations and stabilisation in the coming days.

Vuletic was in the inspection of the works on the dock about ten days ago, when, he says, everything was going smoothly and according to the dynamics and deadlines. The Iskra investment plan also envisages the modernisation of the company's facilities and infrastructure, the purchase of new equipment for shipbuilding, an increasing of capacities and the raising of energy efficiency.

For more, make sure to check out our business section.