Drone attacks on two civilian oil tankers carrying Kazakh crude in the Black Sea have triggered one of Kazakhstan's strongest diplomatic responses in recent years, with Astana accusing the strikes of threatening global energy security and international trade, DKNews.kz reports.
The incidents, which took place on 17 and 19 July, targeted vessels operating through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) — the main export route for most of Kazakhstan's oil.
In response, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy issued unusually firm statements, demanding an immediate end to attacks on civilian energy infrastructure and warning that Kazakhstan reserves the right to seek compensation under international law.
Civilian tankers attacked during oil loading
According to the Ministry of Energy, the latest attack occurred on 19 July while two tankers — ASIA and NISSOS IOS — were loading crude oil produced in Kazakhstan at the CPC Marine Terminal.
The vessels carried multinational crews.
Although fires broke out on board both tankers following the UAV strikes, the crews managed to extinguish them quickly. Authorities said no injuries were reported, the terminal's Single Point Mooring (SPM-1 and SPM-3) facilities remained intact, and no oil spill occurred.
As a precaution, oil loading operations at the terminal have been suspended until specialists complete a full assessment of the incident.
Kazakhstan: These attacks threaten more than one country
Astana made it clear that it does not view the attacks as isolated incidents affecting only Kazakhstan.
In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Ministry described the strikes as:
"An unacceptable infringement upon the economic interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as deliberate acts aimed at destabilising lawful international trade and global energy markets and undermining the security of global transport and logistics supply chains."
The ministry also expressed particular concern that a previously agreed mechanism for notifying all parties about civilian vessels entering the Black Sea to load CPC oil had allegedly been ignored.
According to Kazakhstan, that decision unnecessarily placed civilian crews at risk.
"Kazakhstan demands an immediate halt to these attacks and the adoption of comprehensive measures to ensure the security of the infrastructure used for the export of Kazakh hydrocarbons."
Appeal to international partners
The government is also calling on partner countries to take a clear position.
In its statement, the Foreign Ministry urged governments to condemn the attacks without ambiguity and to work together on practical measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
"We strongly urge our partner countries to unequivocally condemn these attacks and invite all parties concerned to developing practical measures. We firmly believe that only strict adherence to international law can prevent the recurrence of such incidents."
Officials said Kazakhstan is currently conducting a comprehensive assessment of the damage.
Once the evaluation is complete, the country says it reserves all rights available under international law, including the possibility of seeking full compensation for losses caused by the attacks.
Energy Ministry warns of broader risks
The Ministry of Energy stressed that the incident goes beyond damage to individual vessels.
"The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan considers such attacks on purely civilian critical energy infrastructure to be unacceptable."
The ministry warned that attacks on international energy infrastructure create risks for global energy security, disrupt international supply chains and trade, and inflict significant economic losses on all participants involved in such projects.
Why the CPC matters
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium is Kazakhstan's most important oil export corridor, transporting the overwhelming majority of the country's crude from western Kazakhstan to the Black Sea for shipment to international markets.
Any disruption to CPC operations has the potential to affect not only Kazakhstan's export revenues but also oil supplies reaching Europe and other global markets.
By linking the latest attacks to broader threats against international trade and energy security, Astana is signalling that the issue extends well beyond a regional security incident and should concern countries that rely on stable global energy flows.
The Foreign Ministry concluded by reaffirming Kazakhstan's commitment to diplomacy despite the escalation.
"The Republic of Kazakhstan stresses that there is no alternative to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and reaffirms its commitment to the principles of international law, freedom of navigation, and ensuring the reliable functioning of international transport, logistics and energy routes."
