Drone Strikes Near Caspian Terminal Not Part of ‘Shadow Fleet’, Kazakhstan Asserts
The tankers attacked near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal on January 13 were not part of the “shadow fleet,” Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister, Yerlan Akkenzhenov said during a briefing in the Majilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament.
Akkenzhenov emphasized that the tankers, identified as Matilda and Delta Harmony, were “easily identifiable.” They had their transponders on, and their names were legible and easily identified. This means that these tankers did not belong to any so-called shadow fleet. The strikes on the vessels did not affect loading but did impact insurance costs.
On January 13, Kazakhstan announced that two tankers involved in the export of crude oil were hit by drones in the Black Sea near the CPC terminal, located close to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the tankers, though Russia accused Ukraine of striking at least one of the vessels, the Maltese-flagged Matilda.
Background: Previous Drone Attacks and Accusations
Since November 2025, several oil tankers have been targeted in similar drone strikes near CPC facilities. Russia has accused Ukraine of orchestrating these strikes, claiming that the objective is to drive up insurance premiums and thereby disrupt deliveries by making them prohibitively expensive. The CPC’s infrastructure has been attacked multiple times, including an incident when a single-point mooring unit was damaged by unmanned boats.
Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike, and Kazakhstan protested what it called a “deliberate attack,” urging Kyiv to prevent such incidents in the future. In response, Kyiv said it noted Astana’s concerns regarding CPC infrastructure and reiterated that its operations are not directed against Kazakhstan or any third party but are aimed solely at repelling full-scale Russian aggression.
Growing Risks to International Energy Infrastructure
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yerlan Zhetibayev highlighted the increasing frequency of incidents near CPC facilities, pointing to “growing risks to international energy infrastructure.”
Original Article: Tankers hit near Caspian Terminal not part of ‘shadow fleet’, Kazakhstan asserts — Usmuslims