A massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea after catching fire, with Russia pointing a finger squarely at Ukraine. The vessel, which had departed from the Russian port of Murmansk, went down approximately 130 nautical miles north of the Libyan port of Sirte, according to Libyan maritime authorities. All 30 crew members were reportedly rescued and are en route to Benghazi, Libya.
The Arctic Metagaz, carrying an estimated 62,000 tonnes of LNG, was allegedly struck by Ukrainian sea drones, Russia claims. While Russian officials have explicitly blamed Ukraine for the attack, Ukrainian officials have remained conspicuously silent, offering no immediate comment on the accusations. The cause of the fire, prior to the sinking, was described as unclear by the Libyan port authority.
The incident occurred in waters between Libya and Malta. Russia's Ministry of Transport stated the tanker was attacked near Malta's territorial waters, subsequently catching fire and sinking. The vessel was reportedly under Western sanctions, with speculation it was part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to circumvent sanctions related to its ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Previous attacks attributed to Ukraine targeting Russian vessels have largely occurred in the Black Sea. However, reports suggest that some past Ukrainian naval actions have originated from the Libyan coast, though Kyiv has never publicly confirmed these assertions. In the past, Ukraine's military has acknowledged employing sea drones to strike Russian ships in the Black Sea as part of its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. In October of the previous year, Ukraine's SBU state security service revealed an upgraded sea drone, the "Sea Baby," boasting a range of 1,500 kilometers and capable of carrying a substantial warhead.
Libya's maritime rescue agency has issued warnings for vessels to steer clear of the sinking site. Both Libya's National Oil Corporation and Egypt's petroleum ministry have denied any connection to the tanker or its cargo, with Egypt's ministry clarifying the vessel was not destined for any Egyptian ports, despite Russian reports of it heading for Port Said, Egypt. Ship-tracking data indicated the Arctic Metagaz was last seen sailing off the coast of Malta on Monday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented on the incident, referring to it as "not the first time we've seen this kind of thing." The veracity of any photographic evidence of the attack, as presented by Russia, has not been independently verified.
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