Zelensky halts drone strikes on Black Sea oil tankers after US VP Vance demand

Ukraine has ceased its drone campaign against oil tankers in the Black Sea after a direct request from US Vice President JD Vance, according to Ukrainian officials cited by The Financial Times. The US administration reportedly viewed the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, which handles oil from Kazakhstan, as a vital conduit for European energy markets and a crucial alternative to Russian supplies.

Ukrainian officials indicated that Vance made the request during a call on July 31, and since then, Ukraine has refrained from striking tankers at the CPC terminal. The officials stated that Ukraine listens carefully to its American partners and has established "mechanisms" in response to Vance's concerns. Ukraine has agreed not to target non-Russian ships, as long as they are not sanctioned by Kyiv and do not carry Russian cargo.

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We very carefully listen to our American partners.

The drone campaign, aimed at cutting off Kremlin revenue and extending the war's impact into Russia, had caused significant disruption. Notably, US energy giants Chevron and ExxonMobil hold stakes in the CPC. A Ukrainian strike on July 17 reportedly hit a ship chartered by ExxonMobil as it waited to load.

This is not the first instance of the US intervening in Ukraine's military operations concerning Russian energy infrastructure. In February, the US State Department had previously conveyed its disapproval of Ukrainian strikes on Novorossiysk to Ukraine's former ambassador to the US. The disruptions at the Novorossiysk terminal had led Kazakhstan to temporarily halt oil shipments and caused shipping rates to double.

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We very carefully listen to our American partners. The official added that Ukraine established “mechanisms” in response to Vance’s request.