Naval Drone Strike Disrupts Operations at Key Russian Oil Terminal

A significant Russian oil terminal located near the southern port of Novorossiysk suspended its operations early Saturday following a naval drone strike that caused damage to one of its three mooring locations.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which manages the terminal, announced that it would restart operations once the threat from drones had been eliminated.

The organization did not specify who was behind the assault. Ukraine, known for targeting Russian energy infrastructure in its efforts to weaken the nation’s finances for the war, has yet to provide a comment.

The CPC pipeline, which extends from Kazakhstan to the terminal, is a key channel for Kazakh oil and ranks among the largest globally in terms of volume, accounting for roughly 1% of worldwide supply.

«The unmanned boats executed a deliberate terrorist attack at 4:06 a.m. Moscow time, resulting in substantial damage to Mooring Point 2 (SMP-2),» the CPC communicated via Telegram.

«It is not feasible to operate SMP-2 any further. Shipments from the terminal will proceed in line with established protocols once the drone threats are neutralized,» it further elaborated.

According to the U.S.-based Caspian Policy Center, around 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports are transported via the CPC pipeline.