The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on Thursday said that two more oil tankers were hit in the Black Sea, as Moscow and Kyiv exchanged overnight airstrikes that have killed at least eight people and injured dozens, Anadolu Agency reported citing the Consortium’s statement.
In a Telegram statement, the CPC said that the crude oil tanker “NISSOS SIFNOS” carrying the flag of the Marshall Islands and owned by the Tengizchevroil company, was targeted overnight in an attack while loading oil at the CPC's single point mooring in its marine terminal in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
“As a result of the drone attack near the oil receiving manifolds, a fire broke out on the cargo deck. It was extinguished by the tanker's crew, along with three CPC support vessels,” the statement said.
Indicating there are casualties among CPC employees or contractors, the statement said no oil spill occurred and that the tanker remained buoyant, with damage assessments currently underway.
“Oil loading has been suspended, and the pipeline facilities are operating normally,” the statement further said, noting that another vessel, the “MARATHI,” was attacked six nautical miles from the CPC’s marine terminal while en route to receive oil.
“Thus, calls from the Republic of Kazakhstan and other foreign CPC shareholders, including through the US State Department, regarding the inadmissibility of using force against international energy infrastructure facilities were ignored,” the statement noted.
It added that this created risks to global energy security, disrupted mechanisms for uninterrupted energy trade, caused significant damage to the economic interests of Kazakhstan and CPC shareholders, as well as CPC's shippers, including companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, Eni, Total, and Shell.
The statement comes as Russia and Ukraine continue trading accusations about overnight attacks, which have killed at least eight people and injured dozens, according to local authorities on Thursday morning.
Earlier this month, both Russia and Kazakhstan condemned what they described as Ukrainian drone attacks on vessels loading oil at the CPC marine terminal. Ukraine has acknowledged such attacks in some instances.
However, the CPC did not clarify by whom the attacks on Thursday were carried out, while neither Russian nor Ukrainian authorities commented on the matter.
