A Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, Arctic Metagaz, has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta after explosions and a fire, Libyan port authorities reported.
The vessel was carrying approximately 62,000 tonnes of LNG and sank about 130 nautical miles (240 km) north of the Libyan port of Sirte. Russia accused Ukraine of targeting the tanker with “uncrewed sea drones” launched from the Libyan coast. Ukraine’s state security service, the SBU, has not commented on the claim, and Libyan officials said the cause of the fire remains unclear.
The Russian transport ministry reported that 30 Russians were aboard the tanker. Malta Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri confirmed that all crew members were rescued safely in a lifeboat during operations by Maltese armed forces.
Night-time footage, unverified, appeared to show the tanker ablaze following the attack. Ukrainian blogger and defence adviser Serhii Sternenko posted images purportedly showing the ship with a “serious hole in the engine room compartment,” describing it as irreparable, though the source of the images has not been independently confirmed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident “a terrorist attack” in a state television broadcast. The Russian transport ministry labelled it “an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy” and implied complicity by the European Union. Moscow stated the tanker had cargo cleared according to international rules and was en route from Murmansk in Russia to Port Said, Egypt, as part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
The shadow fleet, often composed of older vessels with opaque ownership and insurance, has been widely sanctioned by Western nations. Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has conducted attacks on similar vessels, though these strikes have predominantly occurred in the Black Sea.
Marine tracking data indicated the tanker last reported its position southeast of Malta a day before the fire. By the time the blaze was detected, it appears the crew had deactivated the vessel’s automatic identification system.
The Arctic Metagaz incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by Russia’s maritime operations in evading sanctions, as well as the growing geopolitical tensions over energy transport in international waters.
