An oil tanker, the Suezmax-class Nordic Zenith, chartered by ExxonMobil, was attacked by two drones while loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal near Russia’s Black Sea coast. The CPC reported that a fire broke out on the vessel but was quickly extinguished. Thirteen crew members were evacuated, while nine opted to remain on board.
The CPC has not assigned blame for the incident, which comes amid a surge in attacks by both Russia and Ukraine on shipping in the Black and Azov seas. This escalation marks a new phase in the ongoing conflict, which has primarily been fought on land and in the air until now.
Following the attack, the Nordic Zenith was removed from the loading schedule and deemed unfit for operations at the CPC terminal. The CPC operates a crucial 940-mile oil pipeline connecting Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea oil deposits to Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, accounting for approximately 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports. The pipeline’s operations have faced disruptions due to various attacks throughout the conflict.
