Drone attack on tankers with Kazakh oil in the Black Sea: what is known so far
On January 13, two incidents occurred in the Black Sea near the CPC (Caspian Pipeline Consortium) marine terminal involving vessels engaged in transporting Kazakhstan’s export oil, DKNews.kz reports.
The information was officially confirmed by the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which emphasized that there was no threat to the lives of the crews and no disruption to export supplies.
According to the ministry, two tankers — Matilda and Delta Harmony — were targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The tanker sailing under the Maltese flag and chartered by a subsidiary of KazMunayGas sustained damage as a result of an explosion. However, no fire broke out. Crucially, none of the crew members were injured. Preliminary assessments by technical services indicate that the vessel remains seaworthy, with no critical damage to the hull.
The second vessel, flying the Liberian flag, was waiting to load cargo when it was also attacked by a UAV. The incident caused a fire, which was promptly extinguished. There were no casualties. Importantly, at the time of the attack, oil loading had not yet begun and the cargo tanks were empty. This means that Kazakhstan’s export resources were not affected.
The Ministry of Energy stated that the situation is under constant monitoring. The agency is coordinating оперативly with the national operator, the consortium administration, and shipowners.
The main priority is to ensure the security of logistics chains and maintain uninterrupted exports of Kazakh oil, despite the increased risks in the Black Sea region.
Amid a rise in drone-related incidents, this case once again highlights concerns over the safety of maritime navigation and regional energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Energy stresses that, at present, there are no grounds to expect disruptions to oil exports.
The story is being updated.
