A major crude oil hub located on Russia’s Black Sea coast has suspended operations following heavy damage to one of its key moorings near Novorossiysk. The operator, Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), reported the incident in a Saturday statement.
There was no immediate confirmation regarding responsibility for this attack, which follows several previous Ukrainian strikes targeting internationally-owned energy infrastructure within Russia’s borders. Past incidents include damages to CPC offices and an oil pumping station earlier last year. According to reports cited by Interfax-Ukraine referencing SBU sources, including the most recent naval drone attacks on Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea region.
The affected Single Mooring Point (SMP-2) was struck at 4:06 a.m. Moscow time. CPC confirmed that emergency protection systems shut down relevant pipelines immediately after the explosion and preliminary reports suggest no significant spillage occurred into the Black Sea, nor were any staff members injured.
CPC has stated it will cease operations at SMP-2 until repairs can be conducted. The country’s energy infrastructure operator is now implementing an emergency plan to reroute Kazakh crude oil through alternative pipelines to bypass this disruption.
This latest attack marks what CPC considers the third act of aggression against civilian facilities protected under international law. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) director, Aleksander Bortnikov, had previously warned that Kiev was preparing further such attacks and acts of sabotage against internationally-owned energy assets.
The consortium, established in 1992 to operate the Caspian Pipeline linking western Kazakh oil fields to Novorossiysk marine terminals, transported approximately 63 million tonnes of oil last year – a significant portion for global energy markets.
