Kazakh oil terminal suspends loading after four drone strikes
Four successive drone attacks on tankers at a critical Black Sea export terminal have forced Kazakhstan to suspend oil loading, threatening a pipeline that carries over 1% of global supply and is partially owned by major European energy firms.
Four drone attacks in four days have forced the suspension of crude oil loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal on the Black Sea. The strikes targeted civilian tankers scheduled to carry Kazakh crude, with the final attack on Monday prompting authorities to halt operations while they assess the damage.
The disruption carries outsized implications for European markets and energy companies. The CPC pipeline moves roughly 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, equating to more than 1% of global supply. Major Western producers like Chevron, ExxonMobil, Eni and Shell rely heavily on the route, with foreign shareholders owning more than three-quarters of the 70.5 million tonnes of crude the consortium shipped in 2025.
Prolonged shutdowns at the 1,510-kilometre pipeline network could squeeze export revenues and strain Kazakhstan's national budget and currency. Because the consortium includes several western European countries alongside Russia, the US and Kazakhstan, the attacks directly impact European commercial interests in the region.
The string of incidents began on Friday when the Nordic Zenith was struck en route to the terminal. On Sunday, drones hit the ASIA and NISSOS IOS while they were actively loading. The final strike on Monday targeted the Cameroon-flagged NELSA, causing a fire that led to the evacuation of its 22 crew members.
No oil spilled in any of the attacks, and terminal infrastructure remained intact. Despite avoiding environmental damage, the economic risk prompted a sharp diplomatic response from Astana. The Kazakh foreign ministry labelled the strikes an unacceptable infringement on the country's economic interests.
"We regard such attacks 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 stated. Astana has warned it reserves the right to seek compensation under international law.
Responsibility for the attacks has not been formally claimed. However, the strikes are widely attributed to Ukraine, which has systematically targeted Russian oil infrastructure to deprive Moscow of wartime revenue.
CPC itself has not assigned blame, instead emphasising its civilian nature and lack of sanctions. "We emphasise that this is already the fifth act of direct aggression against a purely civilian CPC facility, which is protected by international law," the consortium said.
