Drone Attacks Hit Oil Tankers in Black Sea, Including Chevron-Chartered Vessel

Multiple oil tankers were struck by drones near a key export terminal in the Black Sea, disrupting shipping and driving up war-risk insurance costs, according to industry sources.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Several oil tankers were hit by drone strikes Tuesday in the Black Sea, including a vessel chartered by U.S. energy company Chevron, as attacks near a major export terminal underscored rising risks to maritime energy transport in the region.

According to Reuters, the ships were en route to the Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka terminal, operated by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, a critical loading point handling roughly 80 percent of Kazakh oil exports to international markets, along with some Russian crude. Eight sources cited by Reuters spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Chevron confirmed that one of the targeted vessels was under charter by the company, saying all crew members were safe and the tanker remained stable. The company said the ship was proceeding to a safe port and that it was coordinating with the operator and relevant authorities.

Social media reports amplified the scale of the incident. The outlet NEXTA reported that four Greek-owned oil tankers were struck by drones near the terminal, citing sources referenced by both Reuters and Bloomberg, in a post shared on X. Another account, WarMonitor, said that four Russian oil tankers had been attacked by drone strikes in the Black Sea on the same day, according to a separate post.

Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the reported strikes. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium also declined to comment when contacted, Reuters reported.

The attacks had immediate market repercussions. War-risk insurance premiums for vessels sailing to the Black Sea nearly doubled following the incidents, according to five industry sources cited by Reuters, reflecting heightened concern among shipowners and insurers over the safety of maritime operations in the region.

The Black Sea has become an increasingly volatile theater amid the ongoing conflict, with energy infrastructure and shipping lanes facing growing security threats that have ripple effects across global oil markets.