Ukrainian Drone Strikes Greek Tanker in Black Sea, US Urges Kyiv to Avoid Non-Russian Vessels

The Greek tanker Skiros was attacked by a Ukrainian drone while sailing in the Black Sea after loading oil at a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal, a key route for transporting Kazakh oil to international markets.

According to Greek television channel Skai, the drone initially conducted a surveillance mission before striking the ship’s bridge and causing a fire. Skiros’ Greek operator confirmed that no crew members were injured in the incident and that there was no oil spill.

Previous drone attacks on consortium facilities had led to the suspension of loading operations and production cuts by several companies operating in Kazakhstan.

Skiros is a Suezmax tanker capable of carrying around 1 million barrels of oil. The Financial Times reported that Ukraine had halted drone attacks on tankers using the Russian port of Novorossiysk following a request by US Vice President JD Vance to Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a phone call on July 31.

A US official told the Financial Times that the United States administration had asked Kyiv not to attack non-Russian vessels or consortium infrastructure. Washington considers these facilities important for delivering Kazakh oil to European markets, providing an alternative to supplies from Russia. The White House, the State Department and Vice President Vance’s office have not publicly commented on the incident.