A Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta following explosions and a massive fire, according to Libyan port authorities.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, approximately 130 nautical miles (about 240 km) north of the Libyan port of Sirte. The tanker was carrying around 61,000–62,000 tonnes of LNG and was en route from Russia’s northern port of Murmansk to Port Said in Egypt.
Russia’s Transport Ministry accused Ukraine of launching an attack using “uncrewed sea drones” (naval drones) from the Libyan coast, describing the event as “an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy.” Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a “terrorist attack” in comments to state TV, noting it was not the first such incident.
Moscow highlighted that the vessel was part of its “shadow fleet”—older ships often used to evade Western sanctions on Russian energy exports—and claimed the cargo complied with international rules. No evidence was provided by Russia to support the drone attack claim, though unconfirmed reports mentioned activity from the Libyan coast.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) declined to comment on the allegations. A Ukrainian government-linked social media account playfully suggested the drones were “Definitely. Maybe” not from Ukraine’s fleet. Kyiv has previously used naval drones against Russian vessels, primarily in the Black Sea, as part of efforts to disrupt Moscow’s war funding through energy revenues.
All 30 Russian crew members were safely rescued and found “safe and sound in a lifeboat,” according to Malta’s Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and the Maltese armed forces, which assisted in the operation within Libya’s search-and-rescue zone.
Unverified footage and images shared online, including by Ukrainian adviser Serhii Sternenko, purportedly showed the tanker ablaze with a significant hole in the engine room, rendering it beyond repair. These have not been independently confirmed.
The Arctic Metagaz is considered part of Russia’s shadow fleet, consisting of aging tankers with unclear ownership and insurance, deployed to bypass sanctions imposed since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Libyan authorities described the cause of the explosions and fire as unclear.
This marks a rare reported extension of such maritime incidents beyond the Black Sea region.
