Ukraine has suspended its drone attacks on oil tankers using the Russian port of Novorossiysk at the request of US Vice President J.D. Vance, writes the British edition "Financial Times", quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
"Financial Times" points out that the US has asked Ukraine to stop its strikes over concerns that they are destabilizing oil markets and harming US companies, as Kiev targets tankers carrying crude oil from Kazakhstan to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) export terminal located at the port of Novorossiysk.
The administration of President Donald Trump has warned the Ukrainian government to "cease and desist" from attacks on vessels in the Black Sea that are not owned by Russia, and not to strike at CPC infrastructure, a US official told Reuters, adding that the US sees CPC as an alternative to Russian energy supplies.
Washington confirmed that Ukraine had committed not to attack CPC facilities and ships sailing to the consortium's export terminals as long as the vessels are not subject to Ukrainian sanctions.
The US State Department and Vice President Vance's office did not comment on the information from the "Financial Times", and Reuters was unable to independently verify it.
The Ukrainian military has recently stepped up its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and other sites to deprive Moscow of funds to continue its war.
Drone attacks in the Black Sea have disrupted a fifth of oil tanker refueling operations at CPC terminals last month, people familiar with the matter told Reuters last week, as the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict has hit sales for Kazakhstan and other major Western oil companies.
Kazakhstan, which relies on CPC for its crude exports, saw its oil output fall 14% last month compared with June.
U.S. companies "Chevron" and "ExxonMobil" are among the major Western companies operating in the Black Sea region.