Drone attack hits tanker at Kazakhstan's CPC terminal; fire extinguished

A drone struck a tanker at Kazakhstan's Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal on Tuesday, igniting a fire that was quickly extinguished. The Ministry of Energy confirmed no casualties or oil spills resulted from the attack. The vessel, the NELSA, was hit in its starboard aft section while positioned at the Single Point Mooring device.

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An assessment of the vessel's technical condition and the consequences of the incident is currently underway. The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan remains in constant contact with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.

The CPC described the incident as a terrorist attack. This follows statements from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy condemning previous strikes on civilian vessels. The ministry stated that Kazakhstan is assessing damages and reserves the right to use international legal mechanisms to protect its interests, including claims for compensation.

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The drone struck the starboard aft section, hitting between the superstructure and the engine-boiler room. The fire broke out on the deck and in the tanker's compartments. It was battled for several hours by the ship's loading crews and CPC emergency services.

This is the latest in a series of drone attacks targeting tankers near the CPC marine terminal. On July 19, drones attacked the ASIA and NISSOS IOS tankers, causing fires that were contained. Oil loading, temporarily suspended, resumed later that day. An earlier attack on July 18 targeted the tanker Nordic Zenith. In January 2026, three tankers en route to the terminal were also attacked in the Black Sea.

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The company labeled the incident a terrorist attack, noting that it occurred following statements from Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy condemning previous strikes on civilian vessels.

The tanker's 22-member crew was evacuated by consortium tugboats. The CPC is assessing the vessel's technical condition and the incident's consequences. The Ministry of Energy remains in constant contact with the CPC.

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Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the attacks an unacceptable encroachment on the country's economic interests and demanded an immediate end to strikes on vessels and infrastructure used for Kazakh oil exports.