By Micah Jonah
March 5, 2026
A Russian tanker carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta, with Moscow accusing Ukraine of carrying out a “terrorist attack” on the vessel.
The tanker, identified as Arctic Metagaz, reportedly went down on Tuesday night after what Libyan authorities described as sudden explosions followed by a massive fire north of the port of Sirte, Libya.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for the incident, describing it as an act of terrorism.
“This is a terrorist attack. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of thing,” Putin said while speaking to Russian state television.
Russia’s Transport Ministry alleged that the Arctic Metagaz was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the Libyan coast. It said all 30 crew members, who are Russian nationals, were rescued safely, expressed gratitude to Maltese rescue authorities for their assistance.
The ministry further described the incident as an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy, claiming it violated international maritime law.
Libya’s maritime rescue agency confirmed the vessel sank in waters between Libya and Malta after catching fire and has warned ships to avoid the affected area. Authorities also requested vessels to report any signs of pollution.
The Libyan port authority said the tanker was carrying approximately 62,000 metric tonnes of LNG from Murmansk and was heading to Port Said in Egypt at the time of the incident.
However, Egypt’s Petroleum Ministry denied any link to the tanker, stating that it was not listed under any contracts to supply or receive LNG cargoes to Egypt.
There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine regarding the allegations.
The Arctic Metagaz had previously been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union as part of measures targeting Russia’s energy exports. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure since the start of the war, aiming to weaken Moscow’s revenue streams.
