Black Sea Drone Strike Damages Tanker Carrying Kazakh Oil to Russia, Video

A drone struck the deck of the oil tanker Delta Harmony while it was anchored near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on January 13, according to video published by the open-source channel Special Kherson Cat on X.

Delta Harmony was reportedly waiting to dock at a Russian oil terminal operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a key export route for Kazakh oil.

According to Reuters, the vessel had arrived to load crude from the CPC system, which transports oil primarily from Kazakhstan to global markets via the Black Sea.

The footage shows a fire breaking out on the vessel’s deck, with flames concentrated in the area of the pipeline system following the explosion. The full extent of the damage remains unknown.

Russian sources have offered differing accounts of the incident. A pro-Kremlin commentator claimed that four drones were used in the attack, two of which allegedly failed to detonate. The same source stated the vessel suffered only “minimal” damage.

In addition to Delta Harmony, two other tankers—Delta Supreme and Matilda—were reportedly targeted in the same area. According to Reuters, Matilda was hit approximately 48 kilometers from the CPC terminal and suffered fire damage. The fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported. The vessel reportedly remained operational and left the area under its own power.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s terminal near Novorossiysk is responsible for transporting nearly 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude oil exports. Earlier, Kazakhstan stated that only one berth at the terminal was operational—insufficient for maintaining regular export volumes.

Earlier, Ukraine said it carried out the world’s first combat strike by an underwater drone, hitting a Russian Project 636 Varshavyanka (Kilo‑class) submarine inside the port of Novorossiysk in December 2025.

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