On 13/1, the oil tankers Matilda and Delta Harmony, managed by a Greek company, were attacked by drones in the Black Sea. A Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs official reported the vessels sustained no serious damage.
Eight sources indicated the two vessels were bound for the port of Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka. This critical facility handles approximately 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports and some Russian crude oil.
According to Kazakhstan's state oil and gas company Kazmunaygas, the Malta-flagged Matilda was attacked while en route to a port belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) near Novorossiysk.
"No crew members sustained injuries. Preliminary assessments confirm the vessel remains seaworthy and suffered no severe structural damage," Kazmunaygas reported.
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Delta Harmony vessel. *Photo: MarineTraffic* |
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy announced that the Liberia-flagged Delta Harmony was not carrying cargo when a drone hit it, and the attack "caused no damage to Kazakhstan's export resources."
US oil and gas corporation Chevron confirmed it had leased one of the two vessels. "All crew members are safe, and the vessel is stable. The vessel is proceeding to a safe port, and we are coordinating with the ship operator and relevant authorities," Chevron stated, though it did not specify which ship.
No party has claimed responsibility for the attack. Ukraine, which has previously targeted oil tankers in the Black Sea, has not commented on the incident.
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Location of the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka settlement in Russia's Krasnodar region. *Graphic: RYV* |
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted CPC's loading port, including a drone boat attack in 11/2025 that damaged one of the facility's three mooring points. The Ukrainian military has stated these operations aim to reduce oil export revenues and serve as retaliation for Russian missile and UAV attacks.
Kazakhstan, however, opposes such actions. The Central Asian nation relies heavily on oil exports to fund its budget, with approximately 80% of its output transported through CPC's pipelines and ports.
The 13/1 attack coincided with a decline in Kazakhstan's oil exports since the beginning of the month. This drop was attributed to infrastructure damage from prior Ukrainian attacks and disruptions to oil transit through Russia caused by winter storms.
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, Reuters)
