Ukraine Halts Tanker Strikes at US Request
Ukraine Halts Tanker Strikes at US Request
The News
Ukraine has stopped attacking oil tankers using Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after the United States asked it to, the Financial Times reported.
Vice President JD Vance made the request, according to the FT, with Washington alarmed by Kyiv's campaign against vessels collecting Kazakh oil from the port.
The move comes as Novorossiysk — home to major oil and grain terminals and a Russian naval base — was hit by a massive Ukrainian drone attack that set the port on fire.
Timeline
Ukraine had been running a campaign of strikes on tankers using Novorossiysk to collect oil, drawing concern in Washington.
On August 12, 2026, Bloomberg reported that the port caught fire following a massive drone attack, citing NASA data showing the blaze.
The same day, Reuters reported that Russia's Novorossiysk grain terminal halted operations after the Ukrainian drone attack, according to an industry source.
Also on August 12, the Financial Times reported that Ukraine had agreed to halt its strikes on tankers using the port at the US request.
Reactions
According to the Financial Times, Washington was alarmed by Kyiv's campaign on vessels collecting Kazakh oil from Novorossiysk, prompting Vance's request that Ukraine stand down.
What's Next
It remains to be seen whether the pause on tanker strikes holds and how quickly the damaged port and its grain terminal return to full operation.
More
Novorossiysk is one of Russia's most important export hubs, handling major oil and grain shipments and serving as a base for the Russian navy on the Black Sea.
Colleges Condemn Students Mocking Kirk Assassination Anniversary
Charleston White Arrested Again on Florida Battery Charge
Sep 13, 2026
Border Patrol Rescues MS NOW Crew in Desert
Sep 13, 2026
Supreme Court Restores Missouri's Old House Map
Sep 13, 2026
Alaska Drops Felony Voter Charges Against Samoans
Sep 13, 2026
Trespasser Breaches Harris' Malibu Estate; No Arrest
Sep 12, 2026
Hegseth Pressed Downed Airmen Into 60 Minutes
Sep 12, 2026
Houthis Seize Mokha, Choking Saudi Oil Exports
Sep 12, 2026
Altman Rules Out OpenAI IPO This Year
Sep 12, 2026
Jury Acquits Lil Durk in Murder-for-Hire Case
Sep 12, 2026
Judge: Trump Broke Law Halving FEMA Staff
Sep 12, 2026
Maher Calls Democrats' Gaza Genocide Claim a Lie
Sep 12, 2026
Blizzard Revives StarCraft, Sends Diablo to Netflix
Sep 12, 2026
Trump's Queens Childhood Home Sells for $1.93M
Sep 12, 2026
Scientists Find New Virus in Tick Invading US
Sep 12, 2026
Britain Bans Settlement Imports; US States Threaten Payback
Sep 12, 2026
Prison Fire Kills 7 as Kurds Protest Killing
Sep 12, 2026
Kosovo Rallies for Ex-President Before Hague Verdict
Sep 12, 2026
Cruz Booed at GameDay Over College Sports Bill
Sep 12, 2026
Blast Hits Bulgarian Arms Plant Supplying Ukraine
Sep 12, 2026
Sep 13, 2026