Overview
- Libya’s maritime authority reported sudden explosions and a massive fire on the Arctic Metagaz before it sank overnight between Libya and Malta, roughly 130 nautical miles north of Sirte.
- All 30 Russian crew members were located in a lifeboat within Libya’s search‑and‑rescue region and were reported safe, with Malta’s rescue center aiding coordination and survivors transferred to another vessel bound for Benghazi.
- Russia’s Transport Ministry and President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching naval drones from the Libyan coast and labeled the incident terrorism, while Kyiv has not commented and independent verification of the claim is not yet public.
- The tanker was carrying about 61,000–62,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas, and Libyan authorities warned ships to avoid the site and to report any pollution.
- The vessel is under U.S., EU and U.K. sanctions and is linked to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet,’ with tracking data indicating an AIS blackout and suspected gray‑route practices after departing Murmansk for Port Said; analysts say a confirmed attack on an LNG carrier would set a new precedent for maritime risk.