(MENAFN) Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned a recent Ukrainian drone strike on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal, describing it as a "deliberate attack" targeting vital energy infrastructure. The CPC terminal, located near Russia's Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea, is an entirely civilian facility, and its operations are protected under international law, according to a statement issued by Kazakhstan's ministry on Sunday. The ministry held Kiev responsible for the assault.

The attack, which occurred on Saturday, severely damaged one of the terminal's berths, rendering it unusable and forcing an immediate suspension of all cargo operations. Following the strike, Kazakhstan’s government announced plans to reroute its oil exports through alternative pipelines. The attack is believed to have been carried out using Ukrainian drones.

While Kiev has not formally claimed responsibility for the strike, Ukraine's security services have previously acknowledged similar operations aimed at Russian pipeline infrastructure earlier this year. Recently, Ukraine has escalated its efforts to disrupt Russian oil exports, targeting refineries, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aibek Smadiyarov, emphasized that the CPC plays a crucial role in global energy stability and expressed concern over the harm this attack could cause to Kazakhstan’s relations with Ukraine. This strike marks the third such attack on CPC infrastructure used for exporting Kazakh oil. In February 2025, drones had previously targeted the CPC’s Kropotkinskaya pumping station, causing disruptions.

The CPC pipeline, which transports oil from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oil field through southern Russia to Novorossiysk, is a key route for oil exports to Europe and Asia. The consortium managing the pipeline includes major international stakeholders like Chevron and ExxonMobil, who confirmed that the drone strike caused significant damage to the terminal's administrative building and forced a suspension of operations. Personnel at the terminal were evacuated to shelters following air-raid sirens. However, the CPC has since reported that oil loadings have resumed, indicating the disruption was only temporary.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry reiterated the importance of stable energy supplies and called on Ukraine to implement “effective measures” to prevent further attacks on critical infrastructure in the future.

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