【By Guan察者网 Zhang Jingjuan】On November 29, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil terminal near Novorossiysk, Russia, was attacked by Ukrainian unmanned boats. This energy hub, whose shareholders include Russian, Kazakhstani, and American companies, suffered serious damage, with the ship loading infrastructure paralyzed and oil exports forced to be suspended. Latest news shows that Kazakhstan strongly protested, accusing the action of "damaging bilateral relations," while Ukraine defended its actions, stating that the operation was "targeting only Russia."

According to Reuters on November 30, the attack caused serious damage to the No. 2 mooring facility at the port. The floating oil-loading facility is no longer operable, and all ship loading and related operations have been halted, with tankers moved outside the port waters. No personnel from the Caspian Pipeline Consortium or its contractors were injured.

According to a statement from the Kazakhstani Foreign Ministry on November 30, Kazakhstan expressed strong protest over the "deliberate attack" on the key infrastructure of the international Caspian Pipeline Consortium in the waters of Novorossiysk Port. "This is the third attack on a purely civilian facility protected by international law."

The statement emphasized that the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system is an international energy project, and any attacks on its facilities directly threaten global energy security and cause significant damage to the economic interests of participating countries like Kazakhstan.

As a responsible participant in the global energy market, Kazakhstan has always advocated for maintaining the continuity and stability of energy supply, and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the global energy system.

"We believe this incident has damaged the bilateral relations between Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and we expect Ukraine to take effective measures to prevent such incidents from happening again," said the Kazakhstani Foreign Ministry.

Ukraine later explained that its actions were not targeting Kazakhstan or third parties, but aimed solely at retaliating against Russia, claiming that its attacks on Russian hinterland infrastructure are legitimate.

Russia considers this attack an act of "terrorism." Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated, "Everyone is clear that this international neo-Nazi terrorist organization threatens world security," and pointed out that such attacks threaten freedom of navigation in the region.

Another Russian official said that the major European powers are waging a hybrid war against Russia, including using Western intelligence agencies to assist Kyiv in attacking Russian hinterland infrastructure.

Photo: Oil Terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, TASS

The report states that the Caspian oil pipeline is the largest oil transportation route in the Caspian region to global markets, as well as the main oil transportation route for Kazakhstan, accounting for more than 80% of the country's total oil exports.

This 1,500-kilometer-long pipeline connects the oil fields in western Kazakhstan to the Black Sea coast, loading oil products onto tankers through the consortium's seaport terminals.

The main shareholders of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium include Russian companies, Kazakhstan's state-owned oil and gas company, as well as subsidiaries of Chevron, Russian Lukoil, and ExxonMobil.

After the attack, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium strongly condemned the attack, saying, "An attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium is an attack on the interests of the consortium's member states."

Facing the interruption of the export channel, the Kazakhstani Ministry of Energy has announced the activation of a contingency plan to divert oil exports through alternative routes, and will continue to monitor the situation.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7578737683200033316/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.