Explosive Incident: Russian LNG Tanker Sinks in Mediterranean Amid Ukrainian Drone Claims
Incident Overview
Cairo: A tanker flying the Russian flag, loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG), exploded and caught fire before ultimately sinking in the Mediterranean Sea near Libya, as reported by local authorities on Wednesday. Russia has attributed the incident to an attack by Ukrainian sea drones.
The Libyan Maritime Authority indicated that the Arctic Metagaz experienced sudden explosions followed by a significant fire while it was approximately 240 kilometers from the Libyan city of Sirte.
The vessel, which was transporting 61,000 tons of LNG, sank completely between Libya and Malta. Fortunately, all 30 crew members were rescued and transferred to another ship heading towards Benghazi.
According to Russia's Transport Ministry, the tanker was struck by Ukrainian sea drones launched from the Libyan coast, although Ukrainian officials have not yet responded to these allegations.
There have been previous reports of Ukrainian attacks on Russian vessels originating from the Libyan coast, but Kyiv has not publicly acknowledged these claims.
Ukraine's military has previously stated that it utilized sea drones to target Russian ships in the Black Sea as part of its resistance against Russia's extensive invasion that began over four years ago.
In October of last year, Ukraine's state security service introduced an enhanced sea drone named the Sea Baby, which reportedly has a range of 1,500 kilometers and can carry a warhead weighing up to 2,000 kilograms.
The tanker was under Western sanctions and is believed to be part of Russia's covert fleet of energy tankers attempting to evade sanctions imposed due to its actions in Ukraine.
The Metagaz had departed from Murmansk, a city in northwestern Russia located on the Barents Sea, and was en route to Port Said in Egypt, as stated by the Libyan Maritime Authority.
Its last known location was in the western Mediterranean, off the coast of Malta, according to MarineTraffic, a vessel tracking service.