Kazakhstan Plans Talks with Ukraine Over Drone Attack on Oil Facility

Kazakhstan announced plans to hold discussions with Ukraine regarding a recent drone attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil pumping station in Russia's Krasnodar region.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Akan Rakhmetullin confirmed the government’s intent to engage in dialogue with Kyiv.

“There was a statement by the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan that even though the strikes were carried out, the oil pumping continues in the same amount. Naturally, we and the Ukrainian side will communicate, we will talk, there will be meetings,” Rakhmetullin said on Wednesday.

He emphasized that discussions would take place in either Kazakhstan or Ukraine. “There will definitely be contacts here or in Kyiv,” he added. “We must solve these issues diplomatically in order to avoid this in the future.”

Russian officials reported that oil flows through the CPC, a major export route for Kazakhstan, declined by 30-40% following the attack. The CPC pipeline carries over 1% of the global oil supply and is crucial for Kazakhstan’s economy. Reports indicated that critical energy infrastructure, including a gas turbine unit and a substation, sustained damage.

Despite the attack, the CPC stated that oil continued to be transported, although at reduced levels. Chevron-led Tengizchevroil (TCO), which operates Kazakhstan’s Tengiz oilfield, confirmed that production and exports remained uninterrupted but that the situation was being monitored.

Transneft, Russia’s state pipeline operator, said that seven explosive drones struck the Kropotkinskaya pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar region, causing “serious damage”.

Kazakhstan heavily depends on the CPC pipeline for its oil exports. Analyst Olzhas Baidildinov highlighted the potential financial losses resulting from the disruption. He stated that, according to his calculations, 53.8 million tons of oil from Kazakhstan were transshipped in 2024.

“Over two months, this volume is about nine million tons. If pumping falls by 30%, this is about 2.7 million tons,” he stated.

Overall, he estimated that the damage to Kazakhstan’s state budget would amount to approximately 300 billion tenge.

Kazakhstan’s energy ministry reassured that oil shipments remained steady despite the attack. However, questions remain about the long-term impact on exports and diplomatic relations in the region.

The drone attack came just before crucial talks between US and Russian officials regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Kyiv did not participate in the meeting, after which the Trump administration announced that further talks had been agreed upon.