Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry confirmed that on July 19, during loading operations at the CPC marine terminal, two tankers — ASIA and NISSOS IOS — were attacked using unmanned aerial vehicles. These vessels were loading oil produced in Kazakhstan. The tankers had international crews on board. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

According to the ministry, the attack caused a fire on the ships, which was promptly extinguished by the crews. There were no casualties. The offshore berthing facilities VPU-1 and VPU-3 were not damaged. No oil spill into the water area occurred. Currently, oil loading at the terminal is suspended until the assessment of the incident's consequences is completed. Additional information on the resumption of oil shipments will be provided as it becomes available.

"The Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan considers such attacks on purely civilian critical energy infrastructure facilities unacceptable. Any forceful impact on international energy infrastructure facilities creates risks for global energy security, disrupts the mechanisms of uninterrupted international trade in energy resources, and causes significant damage to the economic interests of project participants," the ministry's statement said.

Earlier, Kursiv reported that UAVs attacked the CPC marine terminal: loading of Kazakh oil was halted.

According to CPC, during loading operations at the offshore berthing facilities VPU-1 and VPU-3, drones attacked the tankers ASIA and NISSOS IOS. The first tanker carried oil from Tengizchevroil (Chevron), the second carried oil from Kashagan B.V. and Maten (NC KazMunayGas JSC).

As a result of the strike, a fire broke out on the tanker ASIA. The fire was quickly extinguished by CPC emergency services.

"Oil loading has been stopped. There are no casualties or victims among CPC employees and contractor organizations. No oil spill occurred. Medical assistance was not requested by crew members. The tankers remain afloat, and damage assessment is underway," the consortium's press service stated.

CPC called the incident a deliberate terrorist attack and stated that the strike on the marine terminal and civilian vessels affects the interests of all consortium member countries.

"This is the fifth act of direct aggression against a purely civilian CPC facility protected by international law," the company's statement said.

The consortium emphasized that CPC plays a key role in ensuring global energy security. The pipeline system transports oil from Kazakhstan's largest fields — Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak.

In 2025, about 70.5 million tons of oil were transshipped through the terminal, with more than 75% of this volume coming from the world's largest shippers, including Tengizchevroil (Chevron), ExxonMobil, KazMunayGas, Eni, and Shell.