Novorossiysk: The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) reported on Sunday that two oil tankers, the Liberia-flagged ASIA and the Marshall Islands-flagged NISSOS IOS, were targeted by drones near its terminal in the Black Sea. The attack prompted the suspension of oil loading operations, although no casualties or oil spills were reported. According to TRTworld.com, a fire broke out aboard the ASIA tanker, but emergency response teams successfully extinguished it. The CPC condemned the strike, labeling it the fifth "act of direct aggression" against what they describe as a civilian facility protected under international law. The consortium emphasized the attack's implications, indicating it affects the interests of its member countries, which include major fuel and energy enterprises from Russia, the United States, Kazakhstan, and several Western European countries. The CPC also highlighted that it has never been subject to international sanctions, underscoring its significance to global energy security and the i nterests of its international shareholders. The CPC is responsible for transporting crude oil from Kazakhstan's Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak fields. In 2025, the consortium reported shipping about 70.5 million metric tons of oil, with over 75 percent of the volume attributed to foreign producers. Earlier, Ukraine's General Staff claimed responsibility for striking two tankers in the Black Sea, which it alleged were used to transport Russian oil, petroleum products, and fuel.