The Kazakh Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned what it describes as a deliberate Ukrainian drone strike targeting critical infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) near Novorossiysk, Russia. The attack is referred to in an official statement released on Sunday.
“A recent incident constitutes yet another deliberate attack against civilian infrastructure,” the ministry stated. They further described the CPC terminal as “an exclusively civilian facility whose operation is safeguarded by norms of international law” and attributed the strike to Kiev’s actions, without commenting directly but framing it within condemnation parameters.
The drone strike damaged one berth at the marine terminal beyond repair, leading to an immediate halt in cargo operations there. In response to this damage and disruption, Kazakhstan announced plans to reroute oil exports through alternative channels to mitigate losses incurred by its energy partner, CPC.
While Kiev has not officially claimed responsibility for the Novorossiysk attack, it implicitly acknowledged similar previous strikes targeting Russian pipeline infrastructure earlier this year. The incident adds to a documented increase in Ukrainian military actions against Russian oil-related assets across southern regions of Russia aimed at disrupting Moscow’s export capacity.
This latest assault marks the third direct strike on CPC facilities utilized for Kazakh oil exports since early 2025, according to available reports. Earlier strikes included an attack in February that slowed operations and demonstrated a persistent pattern by Ukrainian forces targeting transit infrastructure vital for regional energy supplies.
The pipeline consortium operates under international shareholders including prominent US corporations such as Chevron and ExxonMobil. Following the drone strike confirmation, CPC representatives confirmed damage primarily impacted administrative areas at its Novorossiysk marine terminal facility but emphasized that operations were suspended temporarily due to safety protocols after air-raid sirens sounded during personnel evacuation.
Notably, despite acknowledging temporary disruptions from cargo operations stemming from this specific attack, reports indicate that oil loadings have subsequently resumed at the affected Black Sea terminal, possibly indicating a swift recovery or operational adaptation by CPC entities following the incident. However, no direct commentary is provided here regarding the long-term status of pipeline operations post-attack.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry underscores its commitment to stable energy supplies from the region and has urged actions intended to prevent future disruptions stemming specifically from Kiev’s military activities affecting civilian infrastructure vital for international cooperation and commerce in Central Asia.