Before peace talks, Western oil companies hit by alleged Ukrainian strike

• A drone strike hit a Russian oil pipeline facility, disrupting the flow of fossil fuel from Kazakhstan to global markets. A Ukrainian security official anonymously claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that drones also targeted a nearby oil refinery supplying Russia’s military.
• The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which includes major Western oil firms, said the strike involved seven drones, and called the incident an act of terrorism.
• The attack, which occurred ahead of U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia regarding Moscow’s war with Ukraine, also caused an increase in global oil prices.

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A drone strike targeted a pumping station on an oil pipeline in Russia, temporarily disrupting the flow of fossil fuel from Kazakhstan to global markets. The attack occurred in southern Krasnodar, one of Russia’s westernmost regions, at the Kropotkinskaya station, leading to a temporary halt in operations while authorities assessed the damage.

Who was affected by the strike?

The impacted facility is operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which includes major Western firms such as Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil among its stakeholders.

The consortium described the incident as an act of terrorism, stating that seven drones were involved in the strike.

Who is responsible for the attack?

While the CPC did not specify the origin of the drones, a Ukrainian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed responsibility for the attack. The official also stated that drones targeted a nearby oil refinery, which was allegedly supplying Russia’s military.

In recent months, Ukrainian drones have frequently targeted Russian energy infrastructure. However, this marks the first known attack on a facility involving Western oil companies.

What happens next?

The incident came one day before a scheduled meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia, where discussions on the war in Ukraine are now taking place.

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The Caspian Pipeline Consortium is a major transit route for Kazakhstan’s oil exports, which account for approximately 1% of the global supply. Following the attack, global oil prices increased by 65 cents per barrel, according to West Texas Intermediate data.