Drone Attack Forces Kazakhstan to Stop Exporting Oil Through the Black Sea
The attack on the terminal of the Caspian Sea Pipeline Alliance seriously disrupted Kazakhstan's oil supply chain
After a drone attack on the Caspian Sea Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal along the Black Sea coast, Kazakhstan officially confirmed the suspension of crude oil transfers here. "Kazakhstan will stop crude oil shipments to the port on Russia's Black Sea coast after a series of attacks on tankers is threatening the landlocked Asian country's oil production capacity," Bloomberg reported Tuesday morning.
According to the report, "The CPC Terminal at the Russian port of Novorossiysk will stop accepting pipeline supplies because tanker companies are too scared to send ships to the facility, two people with information about the matter said." The report describes a situation that is developing in parallel with the situation where the tanker crew remains stopped in the Strait of Hormuz, also out of fear of being attacked.
"The transfer halt will begin Tuesday afternoon," Bloomberg added. Additionally, CPC clarified in a statement that "Oil loading operations have been suspended. There was no oil leak and no oil in the tank was allowed to catch fire." The pipeline terminates near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which primarily carries Kazakh oil, but also carries some Russian crude.
Impact on Kazakhstan's oil exports
About 1.6 million barrels of oil per day (bopd) of Kazakhstan's total 2.1 million barrels of oil per day exports will be affected. This accounts for more than 75% of the country's total oil exports.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Kazakhstan oil exports | 2.1 million barrels/day |
| Amount of oil passing through CPC terminal | 1.6 million barrels/day |
| Influence rate | 76.2% |
Details of the attack
Recent attacks on oil tankers have left shipping companies too scared. At least one of the attacked tankers described below caught fire on board after being hit on its starboard side. Reuters detailed the rescue effort that "The international crew of 22 people were evacuated by the CPC tugboat, except for the captain and chief officer. The tanker remained afloat." Oil flows initially resumed after an attack on the CPC terminal on Sunday, but were stopped again after the attack on the tanker Nelsa.
Specifically, the tankers Asia and Nissos IOS were attacked, while the first ship caught fire as a result, which was later extinguished by emergency teams. "There were no injuries or deaths among CPC employees or contractors. There was no oil leak," CPC later clarified while confirming the tankers remained afloat.
Political reaction
The Kremlin accused the recent attacks of being part of "Ukraine's ambition to destabilize the situation on the global oil market". "We stand in solidarity with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan in condemning this criminal decision against a civilian facility," Russian Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova said on Monday.
"We consider this attack as another proof of the desire of Bankova (the building where the Office of the President of Ukraine is located) to destabilize the situation on the global oil market," the diplomat emphasized, referring to the street where the Office of the President of Ukraine is located.
"For them, ensuring global energy stability as well as a respectful attitude towards foreign partners, especially from Kazakhstan, with the Kiev regime saying it wants to develop friendly and mutually beneficial relations, are just empty words," she added.
Background and history of the attack
The Caspian Sea Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is one of Kazakhstan's most important oil export routes. The more than 930-mile pipeline connects the oil fields of western Kazakhstan and Russia's offshore oil fields in the Caspian Sea with a marine terminal at Novorossiysk, meaning the site serves as the main export route for Kazakh oil and is one of the world's largest oil pipelines by volume.
Analysis indicates that as a result of Ukraine's broader drone war on Russian energy facilities, Russia's oil refining output has fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades.
This is not the first time sections of this important energy route have been targeted by Ukrainian drones. For example, a key section of the Caspian Sea Pipeline Alliance near Novorossiysk was temporarily shut down during an attack in November 2025.
Kazakhstan reacted strongly
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed outrage. "Upon completion of this assessment, Kazakhstan retains all available rights under international law to protect its legitimate interests, including seeking full compensation for the damage caused," the ministry said.
The shutdown of operations at the CPC terminal could have a profound impact on global energy markets, as Kazakhstan is one of the world's largest oil producers and relies heavily on the CPC pipeline to export its products.
Meanwhile, the continuing situation in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil tankers remain stopped due to security concerns, has increased instability in the global oil market, with two major flashpoints threatening the world energy supply chain.