Ukraine Suspends Drone Strikes on Russian Port Tankers Following US Request
Ukraine's Drone Strike Pause and International Reactions
Background of the Drone Strikes
Aug 12 (Reuters) - Ukraine has paused drone strikes on oil tankers using Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after a request from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, the Financial Times said on Wednesday, citing Ukrainian officials.
US Concerns and Diplomatic Intervention
Impact on Oil Markets and US Firms
The paper said last month's request followed U.S. alarm that Ukraine was destabilising oil markets and harming U.S. firms by targeting tankers carrying crude piped from Kazakhstan to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal at the port.
Ukraine's Agreement and Conditions
Ukraine agreed not to target CPC infrastructure or non-Russian vessels as long as the latter were not under Ukrainian sanctions and were not carrying Russian oil or cargo, the newspaper added.
Official Responses
The White House, State Department and Vance's office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment outside business hours. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Recent Developments in the Black Sea Region
Ukrainian Military Strategy
Ukrainian forces recently stepped up strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and other sites in an effort Kyiv says aims at depriving Russia of resources to fund its military.
Consequences for Oil Exports
Impact on CPC Oil Loadings
Black Sea drone attacks took out as much as a fifth of CPC oil loadings in July, four sources familiar with the data said, as the Russia-Ukraine war spilled over to hit sales by Kazakhstan and western oil majors.
Effects on Kazakhstan and Western Oil Companies
Kazakhstan, which relies on the CPC route for crude exports, suffered a drop of 14% in oil production in July versus June, the sources said. Chevron and Exxon Mobil are among the major Western oil companies operating there.
US Administration's Warning
A U.S. official confirmed to the paper that the administration had warned Ukraine to stop attacking non-Russian vessels in the Black Sea.
(Reporting by Anusha Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence Fernandez)
