Ukraine attacks major international oil pipeline in Russia

Ukrainian drones have attacked a key pumping station on a major international oil pipeline in southern Russia, disrupting supplies from Kazakhstan, the CPC operator said on Tuesday.

Ukraine has targeted Russian energy infrastructure throughout nearly three years of conflict, seeking to strike sites that Kyiv says supply fuel to Russian soldiers or provide money to support Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, according to AFP.

Ukrainian servicemen test a drone before a combat mission in the Donetsk region on October 22, 2024.

In the latest attack on the night of February 16 and early morning of February 17, seven explosive-laden unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked a pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium that transports Kazakhstan’s oil through southern Russia for export via the Black Sea. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is also the name of the joint venture company that operates the international pipeline.

The attack hit the Kropotkinskaya pumping station, the largest pumping station on the CPC pipeline in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia, according to CPC. The company said no one was injured and that staff were able to prevent the attack from causing an oil spill.

The 1,500-km CPC pipeline is owned by a consortium of Russian and Kazakh governments as well as major Western energy companies including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell, AFP reported.

Both Moscow and Kyiv carried out drone attacks on the night of February 16 and early morning of February 17, days after US President Donald Trump called on the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to push for a ceasefire.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced today that it had shot down 83 of 147 UAVs launched by Russia overnight, adding that 59 other UAVs "disappeared" without causing damage.

Ukraine's power grid operator Ukrenergo has announced emergency power outages in several regions of the country "as a result of a Russian attack on energy facilities".

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry announced today that its forces had intercepted and destroyed 90 Ukrainian UAVs, including 24 in the Krasnodar region.

There is currently no information about the reaction of Russia or Ukraine to the above international pipeline being attacked by UAVs and the new statement from the other side.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ukraine-tan-cong-duong-ong-dan-dau-quoc-te-lon-o-nga-185250217165305917.htm