Drone-struck tanker carrying Kazakh oil was under Western sanctions
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A tanker carrying Kazakh crude oil was hit by a drone near the CPC terminal in Novorossiysk on July 22. The vessel, NELSA, had been under UK sanctions since 2024 and EU sanctions since 2025 for transporting Russian oil and disabling its AIS system. The fire was extinguished with no casualties or oil spill.
Sanctions Background
The tanker NELSA, built in 2010 and flagged in Cameroon, was added to the UK sanctions list in 2024 and the EU list in 2025, according to oil analyst Nurlan Zhumagulov. The sanctions were imposed for its role in transporting Russian oil and engaging in 'shadow activities' such as disabling the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to evade restrictions. The vessel last switched off its AIS on July 17 while sailing from Turkey to the CPC terminal near Novorossiysk.
The Incident
The drone strike hit the tanker while it was at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal in Novorossiysk, which handles about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports. The fire was quickly extinguished, and no injuries or oil spills were reported. The charterer of the vessel was not disclosed, though some sources indicate a trading company from the UAE.
What's Next
The CPC terminal continues operations, but the attack raises security concerns for oil infrastructure in the region. It remains unclear whether the strike was part of a broader campaign or an isolated incident.
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Drone-struck tanker carrying Kazakh oil was under Western sanctions
