March the 14th, 2022 - Some changes are coming to Zagreb's ZET public transport system owing to global logistics chains and there will be some alterations in the timetable as a result.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of today (Monday the 14th of March) ZET will be introducing a new timetable for the capital city's means of public transport that will reduce the number of departures on most tram lines and thirteen bus lines.

To be more precise, all of the current tram lines except 1, 5, 8 and 15 will be running less often. Line 4 will, for example, instead of every 7-8 minutes from the turnoff, leave every 8-9 minutes, meaning that in one hour there will be five to six departures instead six to seven.

This new ZET timetable, they say, is being introduced due to "global circumstances affecting supply and logistics chains". You can see the new timetable by clicking here.

A new schedule for ZET departures will also be applied in bus traffic, but only on lines 109 (Crmomerec - Dugave), 115 (Ljubljanica - Spansko - Jankomir), 118 Trg Mazuranica - Voltino), 121 (Crnomerec - Karaznik - Gajnice), 125 (Crnomerec - Gornje Vrapce), 172 Zagreb (Crnomerec) - Zapresic, 212 (Dubec - Sesvete), 224 (Dubec - Novoselec), 226 (Kaptol - Remete - Svetice), 231 (Borongaj - Dubec), 232 (Dubrava - Cret) ), 269 (Borongaj - Sesvetski Kraljevec) and 281 (Central Station - Novi Jelkovec) as was reported from ZET.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

Seeing as you're already reading about tram and bus lines in the Croatian capital, why not have a look at just where they can take you? Check out Zagreb in a Page.

March the 11th, 2022 - The Zagreb aircraft crash which caused an explosion in the capital at around 23:00 last night has been attacting the headlines and even more rumours. You can click here and here to read what we know so far, as well as here for an official government response to the event.

Here's an update from Index - a loud bang was heard in part of the City of Zagreb just after 23:00 last night. Police and firefighters quickly reacted and took to Jarunska cesta where the incident had taken place. A large crater was left in the ground following the aircraft having fallen. As it was announced this morning, what arrived in Croatian airspace and crashed in the capital is a Russian-made unmanned aircraft that arrived here after travelling through neighbouring Hungarian airspace.

"All of the competent services became involved immediately after the crash of a military-type of unmanned aircraft, which, according to the data collected so far, entered Croatian airspace from east to west, ie from Hungarian airspace, at a speed of 700 km / h at an altitude of 1300 m,'' they announced from the government.

Zagreb Police also confirmed that they found two parachutes.

"After 23:00, the Zagreb Police Administration received several reports from people that they felt a detonation in the wider area of ​​Jarun, which was preceded by something falling from the air. Police patrols were urgently sent to the place of the report where they found two parachutes in the wider area, for which we'd also previously received reports about from people. Several parked vehicles were damaged. Police teams which specialise in dealing with and reacting to this type of event were on the ground, and at the moment there is no reason for people to be alarmed,'' the police said.

Here's what we also know:

The former Ukrainian Ambassador to Croatia says the unmanned aircraft is not Ukrainian, and that Ukrainian aircraft of this type have another type of signage and symbols on them. Ukraine has also confirmed that the craft isn't theirs. This follows President Milanovic's claims that the craft had come from Ukraine.

Jadranka Kosor has tweeted that she is unhappy with the statements made by the government in response to this odd Zagreb aircraft crash and that there's now a sense of insecurity.

Croatian air traffic control did not track the strange flying object upon entry into Croatian airspace because it didn't have a transponder.

Defense Minister Mario Banozic claims that the aircraft was in fact tracked.

PM Andrej Plenkovic has informed the appropriate European Union institutions of the bizarre Zagreb aircraft crash, he also spoke with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.

Military pilot Ivan Selak has said it's ''a shame'' that NATO failed to pick up on the drone, and that it had been in Croatian airspace for eight minutes.

Concerns were growing that the drone was intended for the Ukrainian town of Yarun, but wasn't programmed properly.

For more on the Zagreb aircraft crash, keep up with our news section.

March the 11th, 2022 - Following last night's bizarre Zagreb explosion which involved the falling of pieces of aircraft and two parachutes close to Jarun, as well as many rumours, the government has issued an official statement.

Here it is translated into English in full:

''A meeting of the competent bodies of the security and defense system was held in the Office of the National Security Council, attended by the Deputy Prime Minister for National Security and Minister of Croatian Veterans Mr. Medved, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Mr. Bozinovic, Minister of Defense Mr. Banozic, Director of the Security Intelligence Agency Mr. Markic, Director of the Military Security Intelligence Agency Major General Kinder and Head of the Office of the National Security Council Mr. Franjic.

All relevant services were involved immediately after the crash of a military-type of unmanned aircraft, which, according to data collected so far, entered Croatian airspace from east to west, or from Hungarian airspace, at a speed of 700km/h and at an altitude of 1300m.

A criminal investigation is under way in co-operation between the criminal police and the military police, and other measures are being taken to co-ordinate the security and defense system, including international co-operation, especially with NATO, to determine all of the circumstances [surrounding this incident].''

Source: Vlada.gov.hr

For more on the Zagreb explosion, keep up with our news section.

March the 11th, 2022 - We wrote this morning about an unidentified object which fell from the sky here in the City of Zagreb at around 23:00 last night, with a lot of speculation circulating as to what it was, and more importantly, why it was anywhere near Zagreb. Could a Soviet drone have been the cause of the loud Zagreb explosion last night? Potentially.

As Index/Nenad Jaric Dauenhauer writes, as Index learned during the night from some well-informed sources, according to the information gathered so far, which was obtained by the competent services during the investigation, a drone crashed in Zagreb close to Jarun last night. The crater at the impact site is about one metre deep and about three meters wide. You can read about the event itself and the investigation until now here.

Tyler Rogoway, a military aviation expert and editor of The War Zone on The Drive, has claimed that the cause of the Zagreb explosion and the pieces of aircraft found left behind was a Tu-141 drone.

The Tu-141, or Swift, is an unmanned Soviet reconnaissance drone that served as part of the Soviet Red Army during the late 1970s and 1980s.

It is important to note that the police have NOT yet confirmed this, but if these speculations are confirmed, one of the bigger mysteries will be the answer to the question of how the Tu-141 managed to fly from Ukraine, through Hungary all the way to Zagreb, and how no NATO, Hungarian or Croatian radars managed to even detect it on that utterly strange trip here.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced back in 2016 that the Ukrainian Air Force was rebuilding 68 different types of military aircraft from the Soviet era, including the Tu-141 drone.

What is the Tu-141?

The Tu-141 isn't like modern Predator or Reaper drones, which can fly for a long time while scanning using high-tech sensors. This robotic spacecraft was also not originally intended for combat activities, ie for destruction and killing.

The Tu-141 is designed to perform reconnaissance missions several hundred kilometres behind the front lines at supersonic speeds. It can carry a range of payloads, including film cameras, infrared recording devices, EO recorders and recording radars. It was in Soviet service from 1979 to 1989, mostly on the western borders of the former Soviet Union.

The Tu-141 is 14.33 m long, has a wingspan of 3.88 m and a height of 2.44 m. It has delta or arrow-shaped wings of 10.0 m2 and weighs 6215 kg. It is powered by a powerful turbojet engine, Tumansky KR-17A, and can travel at a maximum supersonic speed of 1,100 km/h. Its range is 1000 km, and the highest altitude at which it operates is about 6000 m.

It is launched from a trailer using solid fuel. It doesn't land like a conventional aircraft, but instead relies on a parachute and retro rockets that allow it to descend gradually in an upright and horizontal position.

There were 152 specimens, it isn't known how many are left now

Ukraine hasn't released any information on just how many Tu-141s remain in the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which began producing the drone on a regular basis back in 1979. The Soviet Union made 152 copies, and they were mostly stationed near the western borders of the former bloc.

According to a book by Russian aviation researcher Yefim Gordon, this Soviet/Russian drone has equipment which is comparable to the KA and KS high-altitude reconnaissance cameras used by the United States during the Cold War. According to Russian weapons and aviation analysts' websites, the Tu-141 probably has a similar radar and infrared sensor as the Soviet reconnaissance jet Su-24MR Fencer E.

If this is true, then the Tu-141 equipment dates back to the late 1980s, which means it is probably not resistant to modern Russian interference. It is not known how Ukraine modernided and equipped any of its remaining Tu-141s.

For more on the Zagreb explosion, keep up with our news section.

March the 11th, 2022 - An explosion in Zagreb could be heard last night at 23:00, and a very strange situation has unfolded since then, with an impact hole, parts of a plane and parachutes discovered. All aviation services claim to not have ''lost'' any aircraft. Here's the situation as we currently understand it, with the latest information first.

As Jutarnji/Tomislav Kukek/Anamaria Hanzek writes, the Zagreb police have also now spoken out about the incident near Jarun:

''On March the 10th, 2022, just after 23:00, the Zagreb Police Administration received several reports from people that they felt a detonation in the wider area of ​​Jarun, which was preceded by the falling of something from the air.

Police patrols were urgently sent to the locations of the report and found a crater on the green area at the address Jarunska bb, while they found two parachutes in the wider area, for which we'd also previously received reports from people. Police officers dealt with both the narrower and wider area of ​​the scene where the investigation is being conducted, with the participation of all relevant services. So far, the police have had no reports of any injuries in the wider area of ​​the scene, though several parked vehicles were damaged.

Out in the field, police teams specialised in dealing with and reacting to this type of event are present, and at the moment there is no reason for people to be alarmed. We'd like to call on the media to responsibly report to the public and present verified information obtained from the relevant services, in order to prevent the spread of misinformation.

We're urging people not to share videos or photos from the scene on social media. If you find yourself in the area of ​​police action, please follow the instructions of the police officers. The police will continuously publish information that has been factually confirmed,'' the police said in a statement.

Here is a timeline of the events surrounding the bizarre explosion in Zagreb, from latest to first:

2.33 -The level of radiation was measured on the spot but no increase was found.

2.23 - Unofficially, it came out that a red star and a Russian cyrillic alphabet could allegedly be seen on parts of the plane. That information has not been confirmed by the police, but it was widely talked about during the investigation.

2.11 - The police cordoned off a vast area around Jarun, no one is allowed to approach it, and special police are on the scene.

1.47 - It was unofficially confirmed that the parts found around the dormitory definitely came from an aircraft, but it is still unknown what exactly happened.

1.35 - Firefighters slowly withdrew from the scene, being replaced by members of the military police.

1.25 - After two hours, the police expanded the area of investigation to the area surrounding the Stjepan Radic dorms. Firefighters removed a large parachute from a tree, and another parachute was also discovered nearby.

1.20 - Military and civil aviation agencies said that they had not ''lost'' any planes.

At around 23:00, a powerful explosion in Zagreb could be felt and heart near the student dormitory (studentski dom), which alarmed the residents of the surrounding buildings. The Emergency Situations Office immediately set off for the scene, and according to the first information from eyewitnesses and officials, it seemed that this is some kind of aircraft had fallen to the ground. Firefighters also received a report of a parachute found on a tree.

Police and firefighters were on the scene and immediately fenced off the area around a large hole made in the asphalt. The road leading to Jarun and the car park were full of debris and asphalt, and there were also damaged cars.

''We didn't see anything, but it was loud. Luckily, no one was passing by at the time. What a horror, I don't know how we're going to sleep tonight,'' said some students.

According to some, the explosion in Zagreb was heard as far away as Tresnjevka. They also claimed that something fell from the sky only 30 metres from one of the pavilions of the Stjepan Radic dorms.

A security guard who was working nearby during the incident said that he didn't see anything, but that the explosion was loud.

''It's still ringing in my ears,'' he said.

We'll bring you more information as we get it.

For more, check our news section.

November the 30th, 2021 - Parts of the City of Zagreb have been left without heating as temperatures plummet and a harsh frost covers the now hardened off dead leaves which cover the ground. The situation with Zagreb heating should be solved at some point during the day.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, there is currently no heating in the Western part of Zagreb this morning, which is just what everyone wants when temperaturs dropped to -3 here in the capital at 06:00 this morning. Residents of Spansko and Malesnica have definitely been left without heating, and it also seems that residents living around Lake Jarun are also in the same boat today. In addition, some residents of Precko, Gajnice and Rudes have been taking to social media to complain of the same issue.

''Our boys are still out in the field and we're waiting for their return. We had a situation last night around 01:00 and we're informing our heating service users of what happened. We assume that the problem will be solved during the day,'' HEP said when questioned by 24sata.

A full statement from HEP on the unfortunate Zagreb heating situation soon arrived:

A hot water pipe burst in Tresnjevka and the western part of the city was left without heating and hot water. HEP predicts that this will be the case until late in the evening. They added that the pipe burst due to its old age of the hot water network and corrosion caused by the spillage of rainwater mixed with the means used to treat pavements in winter.

Due to the rupture of the hot water pipeline in Tresnjevka in Losinjska street and near Jarun in Hrvoje Macanovic street, this morning, the supply of thermal energy to all end customers in the western part of the city of Zagreb was suspended. HEP-Heating employees have started with the emergency repairs of the rupture, after which the supply of thermal energy will be re-established. The estimated duration of the suspension is until late in the evening today.

The reasons for the rupture of the hot water pipeline are the age of this section of the hot water pipeline network and the corrosion of the pipes caused by the spillage of rainwater mixed with the means used to treat the surface of pavements in winter. The sections of the hot water pipeline in question that were broken didn't include the works of revitalisation of the hot water network that were carried out this summer as part of the ''Revitalisation of the hot water network in the City of Zagreb" project, however, the plan is to totally replace them over the next two years. HEP-Heating employees are making every effort to repair the hot water pipe bursts as soon as possible, and they're asking end customers for their patience and understanding,'' HEP announced.

For more, check out our news section.

July the 20th, 2021 - As the very height of summer approaches and most of Zagreb's residents head either down to the coast or abroad for their annual breaks, one important Zagreb road is set to close for four entire weeks, and warnings have been issued to residents remaining in the capital to prepare for queues as a result.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, for almost a month (four weeks), ie from July the 19th to Monday, August the 9th, a special traffic regulation will be valid on on important Zagreb road - Miramarska cesta.

Every day from 09:00 to 14:00, the western and eastern traffic lanes of this central Zagreb road will be closed off, and traffic will be allowed to continue along the remaining free part, meaning that queues and traffic jams are more than likely.

The reason for the half-closure of this important Zagreb road in the heart of the city is the execution of works on the modernisation of public lighting along the railway underpass, the Zagreb City Office for Local Self-Government announced.

''We'd like to warn our fellow citizens about possible difficulties in traffic and as such, we're asking for your patience during this time,'' they stated from the aforementioned office.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

If you're visiting Zagreb, why not see what the city has to offer even in the coronavirus age? From restaurants to museums and everything in between, check out our 2021 guide to the Croatian capital, Zagreb in a Page.

ZAGREB, 21 May 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Friday that the situation in Zagreb's KBC Sisters of Charity Hospital was a disastrous example of neglect and mismanagement, noting that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković should have dealt with that problem right away.

Milanović, who was visiting the northern Adriatic peninsula of Istria to attend an exhibition staged on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first national revival gathering of the Croats of Istria and Kvarner, commented on the Health Ministry having sent an inspection team to the hospital to investigate allegations of unlawful activities.

"I believe it is a disastrous example of neglect, mismanagement. It describes best what has been going on at that hospital for a year. After a conflict between the minister and a doctor working there, the case should have been solved by dismissing either him or her," he said.

Milanović's statement was a reference to Dijana Zadravec, the head of the hospital's radiology department, who has been replaced over poor interpersonal relations that have resulted in a large number of radiologists leaving the hospital and who claims that hospital funds are used for private interests and that corruption and crime are being covered up.

Zadravec has said that she is in conflict with "the heads of hospital departments who own private hospitals and work to the benefit of those hospitals while using the resources of the public health system."

The person in charge of deciding on the matter, the prime minister, let the situation escalate, said Milanović, noting that the PM could have dealt with it sooner.

"A year later, there is no one left... This is a serious matter and it must not happen because it undermines the little trust left in the health system," Milanović said.

Decision on fighter jets not made

Asked to comment on the purchase of fighter jets following media reports that Croatia has opted for used French aircraft, Milanović said that a decision had not been made.

"I don't know who published that because a decision has not been made, so (the reports) make no sense," he said.

Asked if he insisted on US planes, Milanović said that he had never insisted on US planes.

"I only said that the USA is our main partner, but that does not mean that we have to buy planes from them. I have been saying over the past year that I will support any choice the government makes. Both bids are good. One should take care of Croatia's interests," he said.

On COVID-19 passes

Commenting on COVID-19 passes, he said that if people got vaccinated more, there would be no need for those passes.

I will lay wreaths less and less

PM Plenković has said that there will be no joint laying of wreaths by state officials until the end of his term, to which Milanović today said that he would lay wreaths less and less, "except in cases of major national anniversaries."

He noted that apart from keeping florists working, wreaths were also a serious public sanitation problem because they attracted rodents.

"In the future, I will carry roses, a stone, a carnation wherever that is possible," he said, noting that the point was about commemorating people and events together.

"If he (Plenković) does not want it, so be it. We sat down at the table yesterday and did our job. According to his interpretation of the relations between the president and the prime minister, he was putting on an act. He was not, he was doing his job. I don't do all things I have to do with equal enthusiasm and pleasure either," said Milanović.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 21 May 2021 - The Zagreb Stock Exchange Crobex index ended the last trading day of the week by going down by 0.5%, due to a drastic fall in the price of the Dalekovod transmission line producer's shares of 59%.

 The Crobex index fell by 0.52% to 1,943 points while the Crobex10 remained stable at 1,200 points.

Nevertheless the main indices ended the week in the green, with the Crobex strengthening by 0.18%, increasing for the fifth week in a row, while the Crobex10 increased by 0.6% on the week.

Regular turnover amounted to HRK 5.8 million or about one million less than on Thursday.

Investors focused on the Dalekovod stock, which generated a turnover of HRK 1.25 million. The price of Dalekovod shares, however, plunged by 59.14% to close at HRK 2.37 per share.

Dalekovod has called a meeting of its shareholders' assembly for 30 June to decide about capital stock reduction and an increase in the capital stock.

The greatest turnover was generated with the preferred shares of the Atlantska Plovidba shipping company, amounting to HRK 1.36 million. Their price dropped by 1.33% to HRK 372.

A total of 42 stocks traded today, with 12 of them registering share price increases, 16 recording share price decreases and 14 remaining unchanged.

(€1 = HRK 7.508080)

For more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 13 March 2021 - The leader of the Civic Liberal Alliance (GLAS) party, Anka Mrak Taritaš, on Saturday announced her intention to run for the mayor of Zagreb.

The slogan of her campaign is "Change I am not Afraid of".

Presenting her programme, Mrak-Taritaš, said that there had been too many flippant projects and "we should seriously get to work."

Mrak-Taritaš said that her party had initially negotiated with the We Can party about a coalition for the Zagreb mayoral race and later with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and admitted that the negotiations with both parties had failed.

The GLAS chief dismissed remarks from the press that her election platform resembled that of the We Can political group. Mrak Taritaš answered that she had had that platform and pursued the same policy four years ago when she was defeated by a small margin by Mayor Milan Bandić, who was re-elected to the post.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.