Drone Attacks Hit CPC Tankers, Russia Blames Ukraine

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia has strongly condemned a series of drone attacks on tankers loading oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s marine terminal and blamed Ukraine for the incidents.

In a statement issued on July 20, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said several tankers had been targeted between July 17 and 20 near the offshore loading facilities of the CPC terminal at Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka, Novorossiysk.

According to the CPC, the Nordic Zenith was attacked on July 17, followed by the Asia and Nissos Ios on July 19 and the Nelsa on July 20.

The vessels sustained damage, and fires reportedly broke out on some of them before being brought under control. All the tankers remained afloat, while no casualties or oil spills were reported.

Following the attack on the Nelsa on July 20, 20 members of its 22-member international crew were evacuated by CPC tugboats. The captain and chief officer remained on board. Oil-loading operations were suspended after the incident.

Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said the SPM-1 and SPM-3 single-point mooring facilities were not damaged.

The Russian Foreign Ministry described the incidents as attacks on civilian energy infrastructure and international commercial vessels. Zakharova said the CPC involved the interests of energy companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, the United States and several Western European countries, meaning the attacks also affected the economic interests of participating states.

She accused Ukraine of attempting to further destabilise the global oil market. However, the CPC had not formally identified the party responsible for the attacks on July 17 and 19.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attacks on civilian vessels, describing them as an unacceptable strike against its economic interests, legitimate international trade and the global energy supply system.

Kazakhstan called for an immediate end to the attacks and urged that the security of civilian vessels and energy export infrastructure be ensured. It also said it reserved the right to seek compensation under international law.

Russia called on the international community to clearly condemn the incidents, warning that the absence of an adequate response could encourage further attacks on civilian infrastructure.