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1 Million-Barrel Tanker Carrying Russian Crude Attacked Near Novorossiysk, Bloomberg Reports
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A Greek-managed oil tanker was attacked in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk on Sunday, August 16, shortly after loading Russian-origin crude at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, Bloomberg reported.
The Suezmax-class Skiros, able to hold about 1 million barrels of oil, was struck close to the terminal soon after taking on the cargo. Bloomberg attributed the details to people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because the information was not public and disclosed the strike on August 17.
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CPC declined to comment on the incident, while a spokesman for Ukraine's General Staff stated he "has no data to comment on the issue."
The strike was the first on a vessel calling at the CPC terminal—the main conduit for Kazakh crude exports—after nearly three weeks without attacks. Bloomberg noted that repeated drone strikes last month disrupted CPC loading, which recently accounted for almost 2% of global oil supplies, and forced Kazakh oil fields to cut production.
Earlier this month, Ukraine agreed to refrain from targeting CPC infrastructure and non-Russian vessels bound for the terminal, provided the ships were not under Ukrainian sanctions and not carrying Russian cargo, the British outlet Financial Times reported.
Russian-origin crude typically accounts for 5% to 10% of CPC exports. The reported targeting of the Skiros suggested cargo origin remains central to the risks facing commercial shipping in the area.
The attack added fresh pressure on operations at the CPC, whose owners include Chevron and Exxon Mobil, as well as Russia's state pipeline company and Kazakhstan's state oil and gas company.
The Athens-based company listed as the manager of the Skiros reported no injuries or pollution from the incident and confirmed the vessel's owners were aware of it, while declining to comment further.
The strike fits a broader campaign against Russian maritime logistics as a month-long Ukrainian drone offensive campaign across the Black and Azov seas had struck 218 Russian vessels by early August, targeting tankers and cargo ships tied to Moscow's shadow fleet.
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