Russian LNG Tanker Sinks in Mediterranean
A Russian LNG gas tanker has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta following explosions and a fire, according to Libyan port officials.
Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking the Arctic Metagaz using "uncrewed sea drones" launched from the Libyan coast.
Ukraine's SBU state security service has not issued any comment on the allegation, while the Libyan port authority stated that the cause of the fire remains unknown.
The Libyan authorities reported that the tanker was carrying approximately 62,000 metric tonnes of LNG prior to the explosions and that it sank roughly 130 nautical miles (240 km) north of the Libyan port of Sirte.
Russia's transport ministry confirmed that 30 Russian nationals were on board the Arctic Metagaz. Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri stated that all crew members were found "safe and sound in a lifeboat" during a rescue operation conducted by Malta's armed forces.
Unverified nighttime footage has circulated, purportedly showing the ship engulfed in flames after the attack on Tuesday evening.
Claims and Visual Evidence
Serhii Sternenko, a well-known blogger and adviser to Ukraine's defence minister, posted images on Wednesday morning claiming to show the tanker in the Mediterranean with a "serious hole in the engine room compartment and is beyond repair."
He did not specify the source of the images, and they have not been independently verified.
Russian Response
"This is a terrorist attack," Russia's Vladimir Putin stated on state television. "This isn't the first time we've encountered something like this."
Russia's transport ministry described the incident as "an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy," specifically implicating the European Union in complicity.
Moscow indicated that the Arctic Metagaz, which was en route from Russia's northern port of Murmansk, was carrying cargo cleared in accordance with international regulations. The tanker was reportedly heading to Port Said in Egypt and is considered part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, which has been widely sanctioned by Western nations.
The ministry did not provide evidence supporting its claim that Ukrainian sea drones attacked the tanker, although there have been previous unconfirmed reports of similar attacks originating from the Libyan coast.
Ukrainian and Libyan Positions
The SBU informed BBC Ukraine that it was not commenting on "the situation with the tanker in the Mediterranean." However, a Ukrainian government-linked social media account, United24, suggested that the drones were "Definitely. Maybe" not part of the Ukrainian fleet.
Marine tracking data showed that the tanker last reported its position off the southeast coast of Malta the day before the fire.
By the time the fire was reported, the tanker had traveled a considerable distance, and it is assumed that the crew deactivated its automatic identification system.
Context of Russia's Shadow Fleet and Naval Drone Attacks
Russia has increased the deployment of vessels to transport oil and gas in an effort to circumvent international sanctions aimed at reducing revenues that fund Moscow's war in Ukraine.
This shadow fleet primarily consists of older tankers, many with unclear ownership or insurance.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has conducted multiple attacks on such vessels using naval drones.
However, nearly all of these strikes have occurred in the Black Sea, which is shared by both Russia and Ukraine.
