A fresh drone attack has targeted the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) marine terminal, forcing another suspension of oil loading after the civilian tanker NELSA was struck while taking on cargo.

The drone hit the tanker on the morning of July 20, striking the starboard stern between the superstructure and the engine room. The impact sparked a fire on the deck and inside several compartments, but the blaze was extinguished after several hours, The Caspian Post reports via Sputnik Kazakhstan.

The vessel's 22-member international crew was evacuated, with the exception of the captain and chief officer, who remained on board. The tanker stayed afloat, and officials said they successfully prevented both an oil spill and an explosion in the cargo tanks.

Oil loading at the terminal was suspended following the attack.

The latest incident comes just one day after drones targeted the tankers ASIA and NISSOS IOS, which were loading Kazakh crude at the same terminal. One of the vessels caught fire, prompting a temporary halt in exports before operations resumed later that day.

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, calling them "an unacceptable infringement on the economic interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan."

The NELSA was half-loaded at the time of the strike and that the crude oil on board belonged to several foreign shippers, including Kazakhstan.

The source warned that if the tanker had exploded, it could have severely damaged Single Point Mooring No. 1 (SPM-1), a critical offshore loading facility, potentially causing a sharp decline in Kazakhstan's oil exports.

The CPC pipeline transports approximately 80% of Kazakhstan's crude oil exports, making the terminal one of the country's most strategically important energy infrastructure assets.