Ukraine has reportedly agreed to stop attacks on certain foreign-flagged oil tankers operating in the Black Sea near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal at Novorossiysk, Russia. The agreement was reportedly reached following pressure and diplomatic efforts from the United States after recent attacks disrupted tanker and terminal operations.

Several tankers operating near the CPC terminal were reportedly targeted in recent weeks. While damage to the vessels was generally reported as minor, the incidents forced temporary suspensions of loading operations as a safety precaution. The pipeline and its offshore loading connections were reportedly not damaged.

The CPC is an important export route for Kazakhstan, carrying crude oil across Russia to the Black Sea. The system handles about 80 percent of Kazakhstan’s oil exports and represents a significant share of global oil supply. Kazakhstan and CPC officials had raised concerns that attacks on the route could affect commercial shipping and international energy markets.

Under the reported arrangement, Ukraine would avoid targeting foreign-flagged tankers that are not under Ukrainian sanctions. A communication system is also expected to provide guidance to tankers serving the Kazakh oil trade. However, vessels carrying Russian oil would reportedly not receive the same protection as Ukraine continues its campaign against Russian energy operations.