Recent drone attacks target shipping and energy infrastructure in the Black Sea

On July 30, 2026, drone attacks targeted two Greek-managed crude oil tankers near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal off Novorossiysk, Russia. The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker 'Nissos Sifnos' was struck at 01:48 Moscow time while loading, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished with assistance from CPC vessels. A second vessel, the 'Marathi', was also involved in the incident. There were no reported casualties among the crews.

Separately, Ukrainian forces reportedly struck energy infrastructure in the Bashkortostan region, approximately 1,600 kilometers from the border, and sank a sanctioned Russian merchant vessel, the 'Yanina'. Furthermore, Russian officials reported the sinking of a vessel owned by Rosatom, carrying goods such as frozen food and construction materials, by two Ukrainian drones. Rosatom director Alexey Likhachev condemned the attack as piracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed these actions, stating that the strikes target infrastructure supporting Russia's war effort. These events mark an escalation in maritime hostilities, with both sides intensifying efforts to disrupt logistical supply lines.