Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attacking a Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, the Arctic Metagaz, which exploded and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. The vessel was carrying 61,000 tonnes of LNG when explosions were reported on Tuesday night, approximately 150 miles (240km) from the Libyan coast. Russia's transport ministry claimed the ship was hit by Ukrainian drones launched from Libya.
Ukraine has not commented on the sinking. The Arctic Metagaz was under US and EU sanctions. The incident comes amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, now on day 1,471 of the war.
In a separate development, Ukrainian drones damaged civilian sites in Russia's south-western Saratov region, according to Governor Roman Busgarin. Saratov airport and other airports in southern and central Russia were temporarily closed late on Wednesday and early on Thursday. Three injuries were reported.
Analysts suggest a prolonged energy crisis in the Middle East could provide an economic boost to Russia, potentially offsetting strain from the Ukraine war. Disruption in the Middle East may push buyers towards Russian energy, while a slowdown in Western arms supplies to Ukraine, due to US military action in Iran, could further benefit Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that trilateral talks with Washington and Moscow on ending the war would resume once the situation in Iran and the Middle East permits. He also spoke with the king of Bahrain and the crown prince of Kuwait about the Middle East conflict on Wednesday.
Ukraine announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, on Friday due to the participation of Russian athletes. Russia and Belarus were banned from the 2022 Winter Paralympics but allowed as neutrals in the 2024 Olympics. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Poland are expected to join the boycott.
