Ukraine Suspends Attacks On Tankers Using Russian Black Sea Port, At Vance's Urging

At the urging of Vice President JD Vance, Ukraine has suspended attacks on oil tankers using the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which sits on the Black Sea. The request was made in late July, but first reported today by the Financial Times, citing Ukrainian officials. 

Vance's plea sprang from the Trump administration's worries that Ukraine's attacks were creating dangerous instability in global fuel markets. There were also concerns that strikes on vessels transporting Kazakhstan crude oil to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal at Novorossiysk were detrimental to American companies.  

“We very carefully listen to our American partners,” a senior Ukrainian told the Times, noting that the CPC has been “a regular part of the conversation with the US and the Kazakh governments." An unnamed American official confirmed the request, and placing it in the context of broader stability in the international petroleum trade: “The administration views the CPC as a vital conduit of Kazakhstan-origin energy for European markets that serves as an alternative to Russian energy supplies.” 

The American request was made in a July 31 call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky. The attacks stopped immediately, the Ukrainian officials said. Zelensky specifically committed to refraining from strikes on CPC facilities and non-Russian ships, provided they aren't carrying Russian oil or other products, and haven't been sanctioned by Ukraine. Note that other parts of the port still seem to be in Ukraine's crosshairs: 

🇺🇦 🇷🇺 #UPDATE | The true extent of the overnight strikes in Novorossiysk emerged at daylight. Heavy smoke billows directly next to the port and rail logistics hub, severely disrupting Russia's southern supply chain.
​#Novorossiysk #Russia pic.twitter.com/KCKtw6i9J9

— Burak Keskin (@Burak_Keskin85) August 12, 2026

Novorossiysk has periodically emerged as a flash point in the US-Ukrainian war against Russia that is now in its fifth year. The Trump White House issued Ukraine a démarche -- a formal expression of disapproval -- after Ukraine struck the port in late 2025, a Ukrainian official disclosed in February. 

Last month, all hell broke loose when, in tandem with strikes on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian attacks on the Novorossiysk CPC terminal forced Kazakhstan to repeatedly shut down the pipeline, causing shipping and insurance rates to more than double. CPC's loading of tankers plunged. 

The Trump administration's attention to oil supplies coming from Kazakhstan must be placed in the context of the other war the United States is losing -- the five-month-old war on Iran. The administration has been pulling out all the stops to moderate fuel prices that have surged with Iran's lengthy closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Washington needs alternatives to Gulf oil to keep flowing. According to a slightly stale May estimate from Reuters, the two wars have been responsible for idling almost 9% of global refining capacity. 

Wild AAA fire seen over the Russian port of Novorossiysk last night as the area came under heavy Ukrainian drone attack. pic.twitter.com/ADWsPOWkmm

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 12, 2026

Though Ukraine has suspended attacks on the CPC terminal and related non-Russian shipping from the port, both Ukrainian and Russian strikes have been creating volatility in other markets. On Tuesday, we noted choppiness in wheat futures amid ongoing Russia-Ukraine attacks on Black Sea grain infrastructure and bulk carriers. Bloomberg noted Monday that Turkey temporarily suspended Black Sea transits by its cargo ships over the weekend amid ongoing maritime security risks in the critical shipping corridor. Ukraine warned that its agricultural exports for the 2026-27 season could be halved due to Russian attacks.

"Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter, and Ukraine is known as Europe's breadbasket, while mutual attacks between the two countries are putting pressure on maritime transport in the region during the harvest season," Andalou reported.