Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry: Attacks on critical civil infrastructure are unacceptable

Kazakhstan continues to assess the damage caused to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) system in Novorossiysk following a naval drone attack on November 29, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said at a 2025 year-end briefing while responding to journalists' questions.

According to the Kazakhstan bureau of Report, he clarified that the Ministry of Energy does not make political statements, as it is a sectoral body implementing state policy in the energy field. The extent of the damage, he said, remains undetermined until the corresponding assessment is completed.

The minister added that the evaluation is ongoing and falls under the authority of the Minister of National Economy - Deputy Prime Minister. Final figures will be presented once calculations are completed.

At the same time, Akkenzhenov emphasized that Kazakhstan"s Energy Ministry considers attacks on civilian infrastructure, including critical infrastructure, unacceptable.

He noted that around 80% of Kazakhstan's oil production is transported via the CPC. The minister reminded that the CPC was established and operates in accordance with international law, with shareholders from Europe, the United States, and Kazakhstan, while the Russian stake in the project is smaller.

Akkenzhenov stressed that Kazakhstan's position on the matter was previously stated in a political statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is the authorized body to comment on further developments.

"Attacks on civilian critical infrastructure are unacceptable," the minister said.

The attack occurred on November 29 at 06:06 Astana time. Unmanned boats damaged the off-shore mooring facility VPU-2 at the CPC"s marine terminal in Novorossiysk. The consortium noted that this was the third such incident, following earlier damage to the Kropotkinskaya pumping station and the marine terminal office near Novorossiysk.