A Greek-flagged oil tanker, the Maran Homer, sustained minor damage after being hit by an unidentified device near the CPC terminal in Novorossiysk, amid a surge in regional drone activity.
Incident at CPC Terminal
The vessel was struck while approaching the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, a vital energy hub in the Black Sea.
Minor Damage and No Injuries
The tanker's operator reported only minor damage to the ship and confirmed that all crew members, including a Romanian sailor, are safe.
Context of Drone Strikes
The attack occurred on the same day Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted oil refineries and port infrastructure in the Krasnodar region.
A Greek-flagged oil tanker was struck by an unidentified object near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal at the Russian port of Novorossiysk on March 14, 2026, sustaining minor damage with no injuries reported among the crew, according to Reuters. The vessel, identified in reports as the Maran Homer, was en route to Russia when the strike occurred. The tanker's operator confirmed the hit but stated the damage was not critical. Among the crew members on board was at least one Romanian citizen, according to Romanian outlets Libertatea, HotNews.ro, and Ziare.com.
The incident unfolded amid a broader wave of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting energy and port infrastructure in Russia's Krasnodar region on the same day. According to Reuters, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery and port facilities in the region. The attack on the tanker was attributed to an unidentified object, with a suspected drone as the likely cause based on reporting from multiple outlets including Bloomberg and Le Figaro. No party immediately claimed responsibility for the strike on the vessel.
Greece has previously warned its shipping fleet of heightened security risks in the Black Sea following drone attacks on commercial vessels. In January 2026, Greek authorities issued such warnings after a series of incidents, including an attack on the Delta Harmony, a tanker managed by Greece's Delta Tankers. The Black Sea has been a zone of elevated maritime risk since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with commercial shipping repeatedly caught in the crossfire of the conflict. The Novorossiysk port and the CPC terminal represent critical nodes in Russia's oil export infrastructure on the Black Sea coast.
The Novorossiysk port serves as one of Russia's principal Black Sea oil export points, making the CPC terminal a strategically significant facility. The strike on a commercial vessel in its vicinity raised fresh concerns about the safety of maritime traffic in the area. Romanian authorities were monitoring the situation given the presence of a Romanian national among the crew, according to Romanian media. The incident added to a pattern of attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure in the region that intensified through early 2026.