Ukrainian Drone Hits Greek Tanker in Montenegro, US Calls for Non-Russian Ships Not to Be Attacked

The Greek tanker Skiros was struck by a Ukrainian drone while sailing in the Black Sea. The vessel had loaded a shipment of oil at a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, which is one of the main corridors for delivering Kazakh oil to international markets.

Greek television channel Skai reported that, before the attack, the drone had flown over the area for surveillance purposes. It then struck the tanker’s bridge, causing a fire on board. However, the vessel’s Greek operator said that the crew suffered no injuries and that no oil leak was detected.

Previous drone strikes against the consortium’s infrastructure had disrupted the loading process, while several companies operating in Kazakhstan had been forced to reduce production.

Skiros is a Suezmax-class tanker with a capacity of around 1 million barrels. The Financial Times reported that Ukraine had halted drone attacks on tankers using the Russian port of Novorossiysk after US Vice President JD Vance asked Volodymyr Zelensky to do so during a phone call on July 31.

A US official confirmed to the Financial Times that the US administration had asked Kyiv to stop strikes against non-Russian vessels and the consortium’s facilities. Washington considers this infrastructure important for transporting Kazakh oil to European markets, where it serves as an alternative to supplies from Russia. The White House, the State Department and Vice President Vance’s office have made no public comments on the matter.