Drones Hit Nordic Zenith Tanker, Evacuating 13 Off Russia's Black Sea Coast
Updated
Updated · Ukrainska Pravda · Jul 17
Drones Hit Nordic Zenith Tanker, Evacuating 13 Off Russia's Black Sea Coast
3 articles · Updated · Ukrainska Pravda · Jul 17
Summary
Two drones struck the Nordic Zenith near the CPC terminal off Novorossiysk, damaging the tanker, sparking a fire and forcing the evacuation of 13 crew members; nine stayed aboard.
CPC said the fire was later extinguished, but the vessel was unfit for mooring or loading and was removed from the terminal's schedule.
ExxonMobil had chartered the tanker, according to sources cited by Reuters, tying the attack directly to crude export operations at the Black Sea terminal.
The disruption matters beyond one ship because CPC carries about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports from inland fields to global markets via Novorossiysk.
The strike follows an earlier attack in which Russia hit a civilian merchant vessel flying Togo's flag while it was unloading mineral fertilisers.