Ukraine Agrees to Spare Kazakh Oil Tankers Amid Ongoing Conflict

Ukraine has agreed to spare some non-Russian oil tankers and Black Sea infrastructure crucial for Kazakhstan's crude oil exports, following strikes on vessels last month that halted loadings. The arrangement was made after a U.S. official told Bloomberg that Kyiv set up contact points for commercial shippers to share information and seek safe passage.

The disclosure came as Russia and Ukraine exchanged overnight attacks, including a large-scale missile barrage on Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed at least four people. Ukraine's army General Staff said it intercepted 135 of 151 Russian drones overnight but none of six ballistic missiles fired.

Ukraine's Agriculture Ministry has estimated that farm shipments could fall to 29.6 million tons in the 2026-27 marketing year, down from an earlier estimate of 64.4 million tons, due to ongoing disruptions on Black Sea shipping routes.