March 5, 2026

A sanctioned Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, has sunk in the central Mediterranean after suffering explosions and a subsequent fire, Libyan port authorities and Moscow said, though the cause remains disputed. Video circulating online purportedly showed the 138,028 cu m ship ablaze before it went down roughly 130 nautical miles north of Sirte. Maltese and Libyan rescue coordination located the crew alive after they abandoned ship. Maltese authorities reported all 30 Russians were found safe and sound in a lifeboat.

 

 

The Russian sanctioned LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz sank in the central Mediterranean after explosions and a fire, with all 30 Russian crew members rescued alive; Russia blamed uncrewed sea drones launched from Libya and accused Kyiv of terrorism, while Libya remained uncertain about the cause. The ship, tied to Russia’s Arctic LNG-2 project, had recently departed Murmansk carrying 62,000 tonnes of LNG when it lost AIS signal near Malta before sinking. This incident adds to a pattern of reported drone and mine attacks on tankers in the Mediterranean over the past year, suggesting an escalating maritime security threat in the region.

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