MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 19 February 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 18 February): BRATISLAVA - The state will release up to 250,000 tonnes of oil from the national material reserves for the Bratislava-based Slovnaft refinery, according to a decision made by the government at its session on Wednesday in response to the interruption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. At the same time, the government declared a state of emergency in relation to oil supplies. For the oil loan, the refinery will provide a financial deposit or bank guarantee equal to its accounting value. Russia damaged the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure in eastern Ukraine in late January. This meant a halt to oil supplies to Slovakia, which haven't been resumed yet. In addition to the Druzhba pipeline, Slovnaft can also import oil through the Adria pipeline, which until now it's only used for alternative supplies, covering just a small portion of its production with it, along with its parent company MOL. BRATISLAVA - The Slovnaft refinery is halting its diesel exports to Ukraine, and all products will now be designated for the domestic market, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) after the government at its meeting on Wednesday decided to release 250,000 tonnes of oil from the national material reserves for Slovnaft. The Bratislava refinery needs 7,300 to 7,500 tonnes of oil per day to be able to produce enough products for the domestic market. "Slovnaft is halting diesel exports to Ukraine and all other exports, and everything it processes now in Slovakia will be intended for the Slovak market," said the premier. There's no risk of fuel or other oil-product shortages in Slovakia, therefore, he added. The release of oil from the national material reserves will help Slovnaft bridge the period until tankers with oil arrive in Croatia and the oil reaches Slovakia. According to the refinery, this will take some 20–30 days. BRATISLAVA - The government should summon the Ukrainian ambassador to Slovakia over the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline, and if it is proven that the Ukrainians were responsible for the damage, he should be expelled, stated coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) chair Andrej Danko in a social media post on Wednesday. Danko considers the disruption of oil supplies to be gross interference in the Hungarian parliamentary elections. "It's an indisputable fact that the situation at Slovnaft [oil refinery] is serious. Slovnaft has no oil. That's why I welcomed the steps taken by our government and at the same time am calling on the prime minister to summon the Ukrainian ambassador. If it is proven that the Druzhba oil pipeline has been damaged by the Ukrainians, the ambassador should be expelled. It makes absolutely no sense for the Russians to damage something that generates income for them. [Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened in the past that we'd regret some of our statements and actions," said Danko. BRATISLAVA - The Constitutional Court, through its ruling declaring the amendment to the law on non-profit organisations unconstitutional, is protecting NGOs from oversight, said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) after Wednesday's cabinet session. Therefore, the government will use available tools to provide proper control, he added. "The greatest danger to this country is posed by non-governmental organisations that carry out political activities similar to those of political parties, yet without any public oversight and without any political responsibility. I think that we have the right to look into this," stated the prime minister. According to Fico, non-governmental organisations currently receive approximately €400 million annually. Of this amount, €300 million comes from various grants, and around a quarter from 2-percent income-tax allocations. He underlined that oversight of their financial management is therefore justified. BRATISLAVA - State-run health-insurance company VsZP has approached the Constitutional Court regarding the so-called ambulance tender from 2019, VsZP spokesperson Danka Capakova has informed TASR. VsZP has filed a constitutional complaint against the actions and decisions of the Public Procurement Office (UVO) and the UVO Council. "According to VsZP's legal opinion, both contested decisions interfere with its rights, obligations and interests protected by law. In its constitutional complaint, it argued in detail concerning the reasons," said Capakova. VsZP insists that both UVO and the UVO Council erred in both procedural and substantive matters when making decisions. "Since their decisions aren't subject to judicial review, the health-insurance company can't use any other remedy, and so it's turned to the Constitutional Court with a complaint, proposing that both decisions should be annulled," said the spokesperson. MILAN - The Slovak ice-hockey team has made it to the semi-finals of the Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy after defeating Germany 6:2 on Wednesday. The Slovaks will appear among the four best teams of the Winter Olympics for the second time in a row, after winning bronze medals four years ago. The team coached by Vladimir Orszagh will learn the name of its semi-final rivals after the remaining quarter-final matches - due to be played on Thursday (19 February) - are completed. ko