On July 20 Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Zakharova said drone attacks
between July 17 and 20 struck several tankers loading at the Caspian Pipeline
Consortium offshore terminal, and blamed Ukraine. She called the incidents the
fifth 'act of aggression' by the Kyiv authorities against the consortium's
civilian facilities. Attacked vessels included a tanker serving Kazakhstan's oil
industry; hulls were damaged but there were no oil spills or casualties.
Zakharova said the strikes were intended to harm the economic interests of
consortium participants, including Russia, Kazakhstan, the US and some Western
European countries, and to further destabilize global oil markets. Kyiv has not
responded.
