Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Attack on Sanctioned Tanker in Mediterranean
Libyan authorities have reported that a Russian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied natural gas exploded and erupted in flames before sinking in the Mediterranean Sea off the North African country's coast. The incident occurred on Tuesday, with Russia swiftly blaming the sinking on an attack by Ukrainian sea drones launched from the Libyan coastline.
Details of the Maritime Incident
According to the Libyan Maritime Authority, the Arctic Metagaz experienced "sudden explosions, followed by a massive fire" while positioned approximately 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the coast of the Libyan city of Sirte. The tanker, which was transporting 61,000 tons of LNG, "completely sank" in waters between Libya and Malta. Fortunately, all 30 crew members aboard were successfully rescued and transferred to another vessel heading towards the Libyan city of Benghazi.
Russia's Transport Ministry issued a statement asserting that the vessel was struck by Ukrainian sea drones. Ukrainian officials have not provided an immediate response to these allegations. This accusation aligns with previous unconfirmed reports suggesting that Ukrainian attacks on Russian ships have originated from the Libyan coast, though Kyiv has not publicly acknowledged such operations.
Background of Naval Conflicts and Drone Warfare
Over the past four years, since Russia's full-scale invasion began, Ukraine's military has employed sea drones as a strategic tool to target Russian vessels in the Black Sea. In a significant development last October, Ukraine's state security service introduced an upgraded sea drone named the Sea Baby, boasting an impressive range of 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) and the capacity to carry a warhead weighing up to 2,000 kilograms (approximately 4,400 pounds).
Sanctions and the Shadow Fleet
The Arctic Metagaz was operating under Western sanctions and was suspected to be part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet of energy tankers, which aims to circumvent sanctions imposed on Moscow due to its ongoing war in Ukraine. The tanker had embarked from Murmansk, a northwestern Russian city on the Barents Sea, and was en route to Port Said in Egypt on the Mediterranean. According to ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic, its last reported position was in the western Mediterranean near the coast of Malta.
This report includes contributions from Dasha Litvinov in Tallinn, Estonia, and is based on information from The Associated Press, copyright 2025.
