The Caspian Pipeline Consortium reported that two drones damaged the Nordic Zenith tanker during a Ukrainian strike in the Black Sea.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium reported that the Nordic Zenith, a Suezmax-class tanker chartered by ExxonMobil, was damaged by two drones in the Black Sea. The vessel, which was scheduled to load oil at the consortium's terminal near Novorossiysk, suffered a fire that was eventually extinguished. While 13 crew members were evacuated to nearby vessels, nine others remained on board. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium stated that the tanker is currently unfit for mooring or loading operations. These strikes represent a shift in the conflict as Russia and Ukraine increasingly target shipping routes. Kazakhstan has condemned the drone attacks as an unacceptable infringement on its economic interests and a threat to global energy supplies. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry noted that Ukraine ignored previous agreements to share information regarding civilian vessels, putting crews at risk. Kazakhstan is currently assessing the damage and may seek compensation under international law. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium has suspended oil loading at its terminal following the strikes, which hit multiple tankers on July 17 and July 19.