Photo by the Reuters news agency
It is noted that the tankers Matilda under the flag of Malta and Delta Harmony under the flag of Liberia were attacked: an explosion occurred on board the Matilda without subsequent ignition, the vessel remained seaworthy, while a fire broke out on the Delta Harmony, which was promptly extinguished. There were no casualties among the crews, there was no oil loading at the time of the incidents, and there was no damage to Kazakhstan's export resources.
The ministry indicated that one of the tankers was chartered by a subsidiary of the national company KazMunayGas, adding that the agency "coordinates actions with the national operator, the consortium administration and shipowners to ensure the security of logistics chains and uninterrupted export supplies."
According to the Reuters news agency, the other tanker was chartered by the American oil company Chevron. "All crew members are safe, the ship remains stable and is heading to a safe port. We are coordinating with the ship's operator and the relevant authorities," the company said.
Both vessels were heading to the Yujnaya Ozereevka terminal, a shipping point for about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil destined for international markets, as well as part of Russian oil, the Dune news agency reported, citing an official statement from the agency.
"The attacks occurred against the background of a sharp drop in oil production in Kazakhstan due to winter storms and damage to infrastructure after strikes by Ukrainian drones," the publication says. - It is not yet known who was behind the attack on the tankers. The Government of Ukraine has not provided any comments."
