As Russia rained missiles on Ukrainian cities last fall, US issued warning to Kyiv over Black Sea drone strike, ambassador says
The U.S. State Department warned Ukraine in November 2025 that its strike on Russia's Novorossiysk port threatened American economic interests, Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., said on Feb. 24.
Ukraine attacked the Russian Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk on Nov. 14, damaging a major oil terminal. Naval drones attacked the area again on Nov. 29, striking the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's marine terminal and forcing the facility was forced to suspend oil shipments.
Kyiv did not officially confirm the Nov. 29 attack.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, an international venture involving Russian, Kazakh, and foreign energy companies, operates a key oil pipeline linking Kazakhstan's western fields with Novorossiysk's sea terminal. The U.S. oil giant Chevron is also a major shareholder in the consortium.
Following the Nov. 29 attack — which Kyiv never officially confirmed — Stefanishyna received a demarche, or formal diplomatic notice, from the State Department.
"This concerned the very fact that American economic interests were violated there," she said at a briefing on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Kyiv Independent has reached out to the State Department for comment.
"We have been hearing that Ukrainian attacks to Novorossiysk affected some of the American investments which are being performed through Kazakhstan. And we have heard from Department of State that we should refrain from, from, you know, attacking American interests," Stefanishyna said.
The U.S. issued its unusual warning to Ukraine as Russia ramped up its aerial assault against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure, escalating deadly missile and drone strikes on civilian targets as temperatures plunged.
On Nov. 14, the night of the strike on Novorossiysk, Russia pounded Kyiv with waves of drones and missiles during a massive attack that left at least 14 people injured and a dozen apartment buildings in flames.
Mass attacks against Ukraine have increased significantly since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025. Trump has refused to authorize additional military aid to Kyiv, complaining of the financial cost the U.S. has already incurred supporting Ukraine's defense.
The demarche from the State Department illustrates the administration's singular focus on business priorities.
"We have been hearing that Ukrainian attacks to Novorossiysk affected some of the American investments which are being performed through Kazakhstan," Stefanishyna said. "And we have heard from Department of State that we should refrain from, from, you know, attacking American interests."
The U.S. did not instruct Ukraine to stop targeting Russian energy assets altogether, Stefanishyna said, adding that Kyiv "took the note" regarding American economic interests.
The warning also highlights the contrast between Washington's economic investment in Kazakhstan — and lack thereof in Ukraine.
"I was really, really sorry that in 35 years of Ukraine independence, having so many chances, we never brought ourselves to the situation where we can do the same," Stefanyshina said.
While the Trump administration's efforts at brokering peace between Kyiv and Moscow have not secured a ceasefire, the U.S. and Ukraine did sign an economic agreement — the so-called "minerals deal" — that gives the U.S. favorable access to investment projects in Ukraine.
Still, U.S.-mediated peace talks have yielded few results as Ukraine enters its fifth year of full-scale war with Russia. Stefanishyna said Kyiv's allies have failed to mount meaningful pressure against the Kremlin.
"Because of lack of sanctions, lack of pressure, lack of commitment, in terms of military systems, we were doing enough for Ukraine to survive, but we were not doing enough for Russia not to evolve," she said.
