Tankers transporting Kazakh oil attacked

On January 13, two tankers transporting Kazakh oil were attacked in the Black Sea near the offshore terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). The incidents were reported by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy.

According to the ministry, the first incident involved the tanker Matilda, sailing under the Maltese flag, which had been chartered by a subsidiary of the national company KazMunayGas. The vessel came under a drone attack.

“The vessel reported an explosion, but no fire occurred. There were no casualties among the crew. According to a preliminary assessment by technical services, the tanker is seaworthy, and no serious damage to the underwater section or hull has been identified,” the statement said.

The second incident involved the tanker Delta Harmony, sailing under the Liberian flag, which was waiting to load oil at the time of the attack.

“A fire broke out as a result of the incident but was quickly extinguished. No crew members were injured,” the statement added regarding the second case.

Officials said both vessels were empty at the time of the attacks, meaning Kazakhstan’s export resources were not damaged.

In its statement, the Ministry of Energy said it is working closely with the national operator KazMunayGas, the consortium’s administration, and the vessel-owning companies to ensure the security of logistics chains and the uninterrupted continuation of exports.

For reference, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium is one of the main routes for exporting Kazakh oil. According to the report, shipments were carried out at full capacity through several single-point moorings (SPMs) at Russia’s Novorossiysk port until the end of 2025. However, by late December 2025, pumping equipment encountered difficulties following attacks on CPC infrastructure carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite this, loading operations are continuing, albeit at reduced volumes.