Vance Urges Halt to Tanker Strikes

Ukraine has suspended drone attacks on oil tankers using the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It did so at the request of US Vice President J. D. Vance, the Financial Times reported, citing Ukrainian officials.

Washington reportedly warned Kyiv last month that the attacks were destabilizing the oil market and harming US companies. This was because tankers transporting oil from Kazakhstan via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal were also being targeted.

According to the FT, Ukraine agreed not to attack CPC infrastructure or non-Russian vessels, provided they are not subject to Ukrainian sanctions and are not transporting Russian oil or other cargo.

Attacks in the Black Sea in July knocked out as much as one-fifth of the CPC’s oil-loading capacity. Kazakhstan, which is heavily dependent on this export route, saw a 14% drop in oil production compared with June. US companies Chevron and Exxon Mobil also operate in the country.

A US official told the FT that the administration had called on Ukraine to stop attacking non-Russian vessels in the Black Sea.

(Reuters, est)