EditWrong target: drones hit tankers carrying Kazakh oil, not Russian shadow fleet
One of the tankers is chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron, the other is owned by a Greek maritime company
Drones struck two oil tankers in the Black Sea on Tuesday, including one chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron, the companies involved said, as they sailed toward a terminal on the Russian coast.
Both were en route to the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, a loading point for around 80% of Kazakh oil destined for international markets as well as some Russian crude, according to eight sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“All crew are safe, and the vessel remains stable. It is proceeding to a safe port, and we are coordinating with the ship operator and relevant authorities,” Chevron said of its chartered tanker.
The attacks come as Kazakhstan’s output cratered in early January with the U.S. oil majors that dominate its oil sector struggling to pipe crude via Russia due to winter storms and infrastructure damage caused by an earlier Ukrainian drone attack.
Kazakhstan’s December oil exports sink after Ukraine drone strikes
Kyiv has been targeting Russian energy infrastructure to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. It was not immediately clear, however, who was behind Tuesday’s tanker strikes.
Ukraine’s government did not comment on the attacks. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which operates the terminal where the tankers were due to take on board cargoes, declined to comment.
Shareholders in CPC’s 1,500-km pipeline include Kazakhstan’s state-owned oil company KazMunayGas, Russia’s Lukoil and units of U.S. oil giants Chevron and ExxonMobil .
Kazakh oil and gas output down 35%
The Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal itself previously came under attack on 29 November, when a Ukrainian drone hit one of CPC’s three main moorings at the facility, located near the port of Novorossiysk.
On this occasion, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp rebuke against Ukraine.
Kazakhstan protests Ukraine’s drone attack on Caspian pipeline terminal in Novorossiysk
Oil and gas condensate output in Kazakhstan plunged by 35% between 1 and 12 January compared to December’s average, a source familiar with the data told Reuters, adding that the drop was mainly due to export constraints via the terminal.
Kazakhstan’s energy ministry said on Tuesday that CPC was continuing to export oil via one mooring.
After Norway and the U.S., Kazakhstan ranks as the third largest importer of oil for the EU, at 12.2% for Q3 of 2025, according to Eurostat.
Tanker strikes drive up insurance costs
War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea nearly doubled on Tuesday following the attacks, five industry sources said.
Russian terminals on the Black Sea handle more than 2% of global crude. Its waters, which are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine, are also crucial for the shipment of grain.
One of the tankers attacked on Tuesday, the Delta Harmony, is managed by Greece’s Delta Tankers, LSEG data showed. According to the sources, it was expected to load Kazakh-produced oil from Tengizchevroil, a unit of U.S. oil major Chevron.
Delta Tankers confirmed later that it was investigating a security incident on board Delta Harmony, which was hit with a projectile at 0512 GMT while the vessel was off the coast of Novorossiysk.
All crew were safe, the company said, adding that a short-lived fire was extinguished, and there had been no reports of marine pollution.
Following the attack, the vessel shifted out of the area under its own power.
Delta Tankers said that a second vessel under its management, Delta Supreme, was not impacted, dismissing earlier indications from industry and trade sources that it too was hit.
Another vessel, Matilda, chartered by a subsidiary of KazMunayGas (KMG) and managed by Greece’s Thenamaris, was expected to load Kazakh oil from Karachaganak when it was struck, the sources added.
Russian regime channels quoting Bloomberg and Ria report that at least two crude oil tanker of the Russian shadow fleet have been struck in the Black Sea, the Matilda (9407457) and the Delta Harmony (9408463). According to those source, the ships were about to load oil, when they… pic.twitter.com/9ahUy0idav
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) January 13, 2026
Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry confirmed on Tuesday evening that Matilda and Delta Harmony were attacked by drones.
A Thenamaris official said Matilda was hit by two drones while waiting in ballast condition 30 miles (48 km) off CPC’s moorings. KMG also confirmed the attack.
“There were no injuries and the ship suffered minor damage to deck structures according to an initial assessment, which is fully repairable. The ship, seaworthy as it is, is now sailing away from the area,” the Thenamaris official said.
Two sources in maritime security said that a fire reportedly broke out on board Matilda and was quickly extinguished.
A fourth vessel, the Freud, managed by Greece’s TMS, was also initially believed to have been attacked. But TMS later denied that it had been hit.
⚡ Drones hit four Greek oil tankers in the Black Sea
Four tankers owned by Greek companies were attacked by drones on January 13 in the Black Sea, near the terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, according to sources cited by Reuters and Bloomberg.
The vessels targeted… pic.twitter.com/ONPX1hxMlJ
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) January 13, 2026
Following the publication of this article, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerlan Zhetybayev expressed his country’s “serious concern” over the attacks carried out on 13 January by unmanned aerial vehicles against three tankers en route to the marine terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in the Black Sea. He noted that the tankers possessed all the required permits and were equipped with the necessary identification systems.
The spokesperson said that during “immediate meetings” with ambassadors of several European countries, as well as with representatives of the U.S. and other international partners, Astana has emphasized the urgent need to take effective measures to ensure the security of hydrocarbon transportation, including along maritime routes, in full compliance with international law.
Without naming Ukraine, he said that the increasing frequency of such incidents highlights the growing risks to the functioning of international energy infrastructure, and called upon partners to engage in close cooperation to develop joint measures aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
The spokesperson underscored that Kazakhstan is not a party to any armed conflict, makes a significant contribution to global and European energy security, and ensures the uninterrupted supply of energy resources in full accordance with established international norms.
With Reuters, with additional content by g.g.
Caption: Drones struck oil tankers Matilda and Delta Hramony in the Black Sea on 12 January 2025. [@Tendar on X]
Updated: January 14, 2026 - 13:57
