KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Kazakhstan has condemned drone attacks on civilian vessels transporting oil through the Black Sea, describing them as an unacceptable infringement on its economic interests and a deliberate attempt to destabilise international trade and global energy markets.
In a statement, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks in the Black Sea on July 17 and 19 targeted civilian vessels engaged in the legitimate commercial transportation of oil through the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).
“Kazakhstan demands an immediate halt to these attacks and the adoption of comprehensive measures to ensure the security of the infrastructure used for the export of Kazakh hydrocarbons,” the ministry said.
The ministry expressed concern that the mechanism previously agreed upon by all parties for exchanging information on civilian vessels entering the Black Sea to load oil at CPC terminals was deliberately disregarded, endangering the lives and safety of the crews.
Calling on partner countries to unequivocally condemn the attacks and all parties concerned to develop practical measures, the ministry said Kazakhstan believed that only strict adherence to international law could prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Kazakhstan was conducting a comprehensive assessment of the damage and reserved the right to seek full compensation under international law, the ministry said.
According to media reports, a drone attack on the CPC’s Black Sea marine terminal near Novorossiysk forced the suspension of oil loading.
According to the CPC, one tanker was struck on July 17 and another on July 19, with no casualties or oil spill reported following a fire.
