Tengrinews.kz — On the night of July 19–20, a drone attacked the tanker NELSA while it was loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal in the Black Sea, citing the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan.
The attack sparked a fire on board the vessel. According to the Ministry of Energy, the blaze was promptly extinguished. No casualties were reported, and no oil spill occurred.
"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 department stated.
Statement from the CPC
The CPC press service clarified that the NELSA was positioned at the SPM-1 (Single Point Mooring) device. 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.
The tanker's 22-member crew was evacuated via consortium tugboats. According to the CPC, no injuries were sustained.
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.
Previous Attacks
On July 19, drones attacked the tankers ASIA and NISSOS IOS at the CPC marine terminal while they were loading Kazakh-produced oil. Fires broke out on the vessels; however, the crews were unharmed, and oil leakage into the water was prevented.
Oil loading was temporarily suspended following the incident but resumed on the evening of July 19.
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.
The Ministry also stated that Kazakhstan is assessing the damages and reserves the right to use international legal mechanisms to protect its interests, including claims for compensation.
Earlier, on July 18, the Ministry of Energy reported a drone attack on the tanker Nordic Zenith near the CPC terminal. In January 2026, three tankers heading toward the consortium's marine terminal were also attacked in the Black Sea.