Kyiv: Ukraine said that it has taken into account Kazakhstan's concerns regarding infrastructure belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which reported damage at its terminal in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk over the weekend. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi stated that none of Ukraine's actions are directed against Kazakhstan or any other third party, emphasizing that operations are aimed at 'repelling full-scale Russian aggression within the framework of the implementation of the right to self-defense guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry issued a protest earlier in the day regarding what it described as 'another deliberate attack' on the CPC terminal. Kazakhstan expects Ukraine to take 'effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.' On Saturday, the consortium reported that unmanned boats damaged one of the terminal's single-point moorings in a morning attack, leading to a halt in 'loading and other operations' as ordered by local Russian authorities.

Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack on the Black Sea port, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova urging condemnation of the incident, arguing that it threatened 'freedom of navigation in this waterway.' Tykhyi responded by asserting that Ukraine's military is 'systematically weakening' Russia's military-industrial potential and "depriving it of the means" to continue the war 'within the framework of verified and strategically justified defense operations.'

Tykhyi reiterated that the primary destabilizing factor in the Black Sea region and beyond remains Russian aggression. He noted the 'absence of previous statements by the Kazakh side condemning' Russian strikes in Ukraine, and called on all parties to focus on 'forcing Russia to end' the ongoing war. He concluded by affirming Ukraine's respect for the Kazakh people and its commitment to maintaining strong bilateral relations.