Kazakh minister: Tankers hit in Black Sea not linked to “shadow fleet”

The tankers attacked near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium facilities did not belong to a “shadow fleet,” said Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister, Erlan Akkenzhenov.

“They had their transponders on. Their names were visible, and they were easy to identify. In other words, these tankers did not belong to any, shall we say, grey fleet,” the minister added, Caliber.Az reports, citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.

The strikes on the vessels did not affect shipments but did impact insurance cost considerations, Akkenzhenov said.

On January 13, 2026, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) attacked two tankers — Matilda (Malta‑flagged and chartered by a subsidiary of KazMunayGaz) and Delta Harmony — in the Black Sea near the CPC/KTK marine terminal near Novorossiysk, Russia, while they were waiting to load Kazakh crude oil. The Matilda suffered an explosion from the drone strike but did not subsequently catch fire; the crew were unharmed.  

By Khagan Isayev