Ukraine strikes Russian oil depots, halt CPC pipeline loadings
Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have halted loadings at a key Black Sea pipeline terminal handling most of Kazakhstan's crude exports, as both sides escalate attacks on logistical and energy targets.
Ukrainian forces have halted oil loadings at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk after striking two tankers at the Black Sea port. The Liberia-flagged Asia and Marshall Islands-flagged Nissos were hit in an attack that sparked a fire on the Asia but caused no casualties or oil spills. The CPC operates a 940-mile pipeline that accounts for roughly 80 per cent of Kazakhstan’s crude exports.
The terminal strike was part of a wider Ukrainian assault on Russian energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian units hit three oil depots and a separate fuel facility in the southern Stavropol region. Three Russian "shadow fleet" tankers were also struck in the Black Sea, continuing Kyiv's campaign to target vessels that ship oil in violation of international sanctions.
For European and global markets, the attack on the CPC terminal raises immediate questions about the security of a critical supply route for Kazakh crude. While the Russian government and Russian state oil firms hold a combined 31 per cent stake in the CPC, the pipeline is a vital economic artery for landlocked Kazakhstan. Ukraine has long argued that striking Russia's oil industry degrades the logistical and financial networks funding Moscow's war effort, a strategy that has triggered acute fuel shortages in one of the world's top oil producers.
The energy strikes followed the largest ballistic missile attack of the war on Kyiv. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the Sunday assault involved "around four dozen" ballistic missiles, the highest number in a single attack since the invasion began. At least six people were killed and 16 injured as strikes hit residential buildings, industrial sites, and a dormitory across five districts.
Russia's aerial bombardment coincided with a massive Ukrainian drone offensive deep inside Russian territory. Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 400 drones were launched toward the capital, with 85 downed approaching the city. Strikes hit an oil depot in Podolsk, destroyed a warehouse at the Yuzhnye Vorota logistics park, and caused a fire at a residential building in Domodedovo.
The military escalation unfolded alongside deepening diplomatic ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. Russian president Vladimir Putin met North Korean foreign minister Choe Son Hui in the Kremlin, thanking the North Korean leadership for supporting his military operations against Ukraine. The unannounced visit has fuelled speculation about a potential trip to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces have fired more ballistic missiles at Ukraine in July than they produce in a single month. This rate of expenditure underscores the unsustainable trajectory of the conflict's current intensity. Both sides are demonstrating an increasing willingness to strike deeper into each other's territory.
