Kazakhstan protests to Ukraine over attack on Russian oil terminal

Kazakhstan has delivered a formal diplomatic protest to Ukraine following an attack on a crucial oil export terminal in southern Russia that handles the majority of Kazakh crude exports. The incident at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium facility in Novorossiysk port has raised concerns about the security of energy infrastructure in the Black Sea region.

Third attack on civilian facility

Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov stated that Astana views Saturday's incident as "another deliberate attack" targeting critical infrastructure protected under international law. He emphasized that this marks the third aggression against exclusively civilian facilities used for energy transportation. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium confirmed that unmanned boats damaged one of the terminal's mooring points, prompting local Russian authorities to suspend loading operations.

Energy security concerns

Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry joined in condemning the attack, describing actions against purely civilian critical infrastructure as unacceptable. The 1,500-kilometer pipeline system transports oil from Kazakhstan's Tengiz field on the Caspian Sea to the Novorossiysk marine terminal, playing a vital role in global energy markets. Officials in Astana stressed their commitment to maintaining stable and uninterrupted energy supplies through the crucial export route.

Diplomatic repercussions

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry explicitly characterized the incident as damaging to bilateral relations with Ukraine and called on Kyiv to implement effective measures preventing similar occurrences. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian authorities have provided official statements regarding responsibility for the attack, though Russian state media outlets reported the terminal damage resulted from Ukrainian military action. The CPC confirmed no casualties or oil spills resulted from the attack.