A drone struck the deck of the Delta Harmony tanker on Tuesday (13) while the vessel was waiting to dock near the Russian port of Novorossiysk in the Black Sea.
Video footage of the fire was shared on social media, showing flames in the area near the ship’s pipeline system. So far, the extent of the damage has not been officially confirmed.
According to Reuters, Delta Harmony had arrived in Russia to load oil transported by the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which is primarily responsible for exporting oil from Kazakhstan. The vessel was in the terminal’s waiting zone at the time of the attack.
Sources linked to Russian media stated that up to four drones may have been used in the operation, with two reportedly failing to detonate. Despite this, pro-Kremlin authorities downplayed the incident, claiming the vessel suffered only minor damage. The episode nonetheless highlights the growing vulnerability of energy infrastructure in the region.
In addition to Delta Harmony, the tankers Delta Supreme and Matilda were also reportedly targeted. Matilda, in particular, was struck by two drones about 48 km from the CPC terminal, resulting in a fire that was quickly brought under control. The attack comes amid operational difficulties at the port of Novorossiysk, which currently has only one functional berth for exporting Kazakh oil, accounting for roughly 80% of the volume shipped abroad via the Black Sea.
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @bayraktar_1love | This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Footage claimed as yesterday’s drone strike on Delta Harmony IMO: 9408463 tanker near Novorossiysk. https://t.co/4fENPmkojN pic.twitter.com/P68eTAcYYW
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 14, 2026
