Attack on tankers carrying Kazakh oil: KazMunaiGas releases details

Tengrinews.kz — The tanker MATILDA, which was previously attacked by drones near the terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), was scheduled to load Kazakh oil, Kazakhstan’s national oil company KazMunaiGas said.
According to the company, the vessel had been chartered for transportation by Kazmortransflot, a subsidiary of KazMunaiGas. Loading of Kazakh oil at the CPC terminal was planned for January 18, 2026.

“On January 13, the tanker was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result of the attack, an explosion occurred without subsequent fire,” the company said.
“There were no injuries among the crew. According to a preliminary assessment, the vessel remains seaworthy, and no signs of serious structural damage were identified during the initial inspection. A damage assessment is currently underway,” KazMunaiGas added.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium is one of the key export routes for Kazakh oil. Crude oil from Kazakhstan is transported through Russia and then shipped to global markets via the CPC marine terminal near Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. Around 80 percent of Kazakhstan’s oil exports pass through this terminal.
Earlier, Reuters reported that two oil tankers were attacked near the CPC terminal on January 13. According to sources cited by the agency, one of the vessels, Delta Harmony, was expected to load oil from the Tengizchevroil project, while MATILDA was waiting to load oil from the Karachaganak field.