A Greek oil tanker was struck by a drone in the Black Sea shortly after loading oil near the Russian port of Novorossiysk, according to Greek broadcaster Skai.
The vessel, identified as the Suezmax-class Skiros, was attacked on August 16 after taking on an oil cargo at a terminal associated with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).
Footage released by Skai appears to show a drone conducting reconnaissance over the sea before moving toward the tanker and striking its bridge area. A fire can be seen breaking out immediately after the impact.
The circumstances surrounding the attack, including the precise origin of the drone, remain subject to investigation.
Crew Reported Safe After Strike
The Greek operator of the Skiros said nobody was injured in the incident and that there had been no reported oil spill.
The vessel’s owners were aware of the attack but declined to provide further comment, according to reports.
The lack of casualties and an absence of an oil leak helped prevent what could have been a more serious maritime and environmental incident in a strategically important area of the Black Sea.
Ukraine Suspected of Carrying Out the Attack
Skai reported that the drone was believed to have been operated by Ukrainian authorities, pointing to a series of recent attacks involving tankers carrying oil from the Novorossiysk area.
The report did not provide independent evidence establishing responsibility for the strike.
The incident comes amid Ukraine’s broader campaign against Russian energy infrastructure and shipping connected to Russia’s oil exports as Kyiv seeks to increase pressure on Moscow’s wartime economy.
Attack Hits Major Oil Export Route
The Skiros reportedly had the capacity to transport around one million barrels of crude oil and had loaded cargo near a CPC terminal outside Novorossiysk.
Bloomberg reported that the tanker was attacked after loading cargo of Russian origin, citing people familiar with the incident.
The CPC route is particularly important because it is a major export channel for Kazakh oil. Bloomberg noted that CPC shipments have recently represented close to 2% of global oil supplies.
The latest attack was reportedly the first strike on a vessel near the CPC terminal following an almost three-week period without a similar incident.
Previous Drone Strikes Disrupted Oil Operations
The tanker attack follows several drone incidents in the region last month that disrupted loading operations at CPC facilities.
Those attacks reportedly affected the movement of crude and contributed to disruptions that forced oil producers operating in Kazakhstan to reduce production.
The latest incident therefore raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of commercial shipping and energy infrastructure in and around the Black Sea.
Any sustained disruption to the CPC route could have consequences beyond the Russia-Ukraine conflict because the system handles significant volumes of Kazakh crude destined for international markets.
Zelenskyy Pushes Broader Pressure on Russia
The attack also comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to advocate for intensified international pressure against Russia.
In a recent statement, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was pursuing several sanctions-related measures beyond direct military action and argued that critical items supporting Russia’s war effort were still reaching the country, including through some G7 states.
“Our partners should understand how every sanctions step contributes to bringing peace closer and saving lives,” Zelenskyy said.
Although his comments did not specifically refer to the Skiros incident or claim responsibility for the tanker attack, this action might be part of the santions he has imposed on Russia and it might also be his way of telling other European countries to stop buying Russian oil.
