The tanker Skiros, managed by a Greek company, was targeted by a drone strike in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk. The incident occurred on August 16, immediately after the vessel finished loading Russian-origin oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, Bloomberg reported, citing its own sources.
The agency notes that the vessel has a capacity of up to one million barrels of oil. While the CPC terminal is primarily used for exporting Kazakh crude, Russian oil accounts for 5 to 10 percent of the volumes passing through the hub. Overall, shipments via the CPC account for approximately 2% of the global oil market.
Representatives from the Greek operating company confirmed the attack, emphasizing that no crew members were injured and no environmental damage was reported. The company provided no further comments.
Regional security context
This attack marks the first such incident in three weeks. In July, a series of drone strikes disrupted operations at the CPC terminal, forcing the operator to reduce production volumes at fields in Kazakhstan. At the end of July, terminal management considered a full suspension of operations to minimize security risks and prevent environmental disasters, but ultimately decided to continue work.
The situation surrounding the CPC infrastructure has also been discussed at the diplomatic level. According to a Financial Times report published on August 12, U.S. Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to refrain from attacking CPC facilities and tankers entering Novorossiysk. The publication claims that Kyiv expressed a willingness to avoid striking the consortium's infrastructure and vessels registered outside of Russia, provided that the ships are not subject to Ukrainian sanctions and are not transporting Russian cargo.
Bloomberg experts characterize the event as another example of how the Russia-Ukraine conflict impacts the stability of global energy supplies.
