Kazakhstan Demands Ukraine Halt Attacks on Black Sea CPC Oil Terminal After Exports Halted & Infrastructure Damaged

Kazakhstan Demands Halt to Ukrainian Attacks on Black Sea CPC Oil Terminal

Kazakhstan has issued a strong protest to Ukraine, urging it to cease drone attacks on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal located in Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. This diplomatic intervention follows a significant naval drone attack on November 29, which caused substantial damage to the terminal's loading infrastructure and led to a complete halt of oil export operations.

Critical Infrastructure Damaged, Exports Halted

The CPC, a vital international consortium with shareholders including Russian, Kazakh, and U.S. entities like Chevron and ExxonMobil, announced the suspension of activities after its Single-Point Mooring (SPM) 2 was severely damaged. This crucial floating buoy, essential for connecting tankers to load crude oil, is now non-operational. The incident forced the withdrawal of tankers from the CPC water area, impacting global oil supplies.

Kazakhstan's foreign ministry labeled the incident as the third deliberate assault on what it considers an "exclusively civilian facility," asserting that its operation is protected under international law. The ministry expressed "protest over yet another deliberate attack on the critical infrastructure" in the Port of Novorossiysk. They view these actions as detrimental to the bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine, urging Kyiv to implement effective measures to prevent future occurrences.

CPC's Global Significance and Kazakhstan's Stance

The CPC plays a pivotal role in global energy markets, handling over 1% of the world's oil. Crucially, it transports approximately 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, originating from key fields like Tengiz, Karachaganak, and Kashagan, to the Yuzhnaya Ozereevka terminal near Novorossiysk. The consortium also facilitates crude collection from Russian producers.

Ukraine and Russia Respond

Ukraine, however, has defended its actions, stating they are solely aimed at countering "full-scale Russian aggression" and are not directed against Kazakhstan or any third parties. Kyiv maintains it is striking back at the aggressor to undermine Russia's war economy by targeting its oil refineries and crude oil terminals, which are significant revenue sources for Moscow.

Russia's foreign ministry has condemned Ukraine's attacks as "acts of terrorism," with Russian officials further suggesting that European powers are involved in a "hybrid war" against Russia, utilizing Western intelligence to aid Kyiv in targeting Russian infrastructure. Moscow also warned that these attacks pose a threat to freedom of navigation in the region.

The ongoing conflict continues to have far-reaching implications, extending beyond the immediate belligerents to impact crucial international energy infrastructure and diplomatic relations.