Four drone strikes in four days hit tankers carrying Kazakhstan oil at Black Sea terminal

Four tankers linked to Kazakhstan's crude exports were struck by drones over four days while loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal in the Black Sea. The incidents affected civilian vessels at a key export point used to move Kazakh oil to international markets. Kazakhstan said the attacks threatened both its economic interests and wider global energy security.

Sponsored

The foreign and energy ministries in Kazakhstan condemned the strikes and called for them to stop. In a statement, the foreign ministry said the attacks were an unacceptable infringement on Kazakhstan's economic interests and a deliberate attempt to destabilise lawful international trade and global energy markets. It also said the vessels were civilian ships engaged in legitimate commercial oil transport.

Astana has asked partner countries to condemn the attacks as well. The first vessel named in the report was the Nordic Zenith, which was attacked on Friday while empty and heading to the terminal to load Kazakh oil. The strike caused a fire, but the crew extinguished it and no casualties were reported.

On Sunday, the tankers ASIA and Nissos Ios were hit while loading at the terminal, and fires broke out on both ships before crews put them out. On Monday, the Cameroon-flagged tanker Nelsa was struck while loading at SPM-1, causing another fire and the evacuation of 22 crew members. Kazakhstan's energy ministry said the Single Point Mooring facilities were not damaged and no oil was spilled.

Sponsored

It also said crude loading operations at the terminal had been suspended pending a full assessment of the consequences. That makes the incident significant not only for the ships involved, but also for the continuity of exports through one of the region's most important oil routes. The terminal is part of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system, which is central to Kazakhstan's access to global markets.

The attacks come against the backdrop of repeated drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure during the full-scale war in Ukraine. The incidents are widely attributed to Ukraine, although neither the Caspian Pipeline Consortium nor Ukraine has formally claimed responsibility for any of the strikes. That leaves the immediate operational picture clear, but the political responsibility unresolved.

For Kazakhstan, the strikes raise concerns about the vulnerability of civilian energy transport linked to a major international pipeline network. What remains unclear is how long loading operations will stay suspended and whether further attacks will follow. It is also not known whether the terminal will need repairs beyond the initial damage assessments already reported.

#Kazakhstan #BlackSea #dronestrike #oiltanker #energysecurity

Sponsored