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Oil Tanker Reportedly Damaged Near Russia's CPC Black Sea Terminal After Drone Attack

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An oil tanker sustained damage after two drone strikes near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's Black Sea terminal, forcing operators to remove the vessel from its loading schedule, according to multiple media reports said on Friday.

The Suezmax-class Nordic Zenith caught fire while approaching the terminal near Novorossiysk. The crew extinguished the blaze after the vessel issued a distress signal, according to CPC.

Nearby CPC vessels evacuated 13 crew members, while nine others remained aboard. CPC said the damaged tanker could no longer berth or load crude at the terminal, according to the reports.

CPC did not identify any party as responsible for the incident, according to the reports.

The 1,511-kilometer CPC pipeline links oil fields in western Kazakhstan with Russia's Black Sea coast and serves as the main export route for crude shipped from the Caspian region to global markets.

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium did not immediately reply to' request for comment.

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