Location: Mediterranean Sea / Moscow
photo: Unverified footage of the blaze was shared by an adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister
The Russian government has formally accused Ukraine of conducting a naval drone attack that sank the Arctic Metagaz (LNG Shadow fleet), a sanctioned liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, in the Mediterranean Sea. The incident, which occurred on March 3, 2026, marks the first confirmed kinetic strike against a vessel in Russia’s “shadow fleet” of gas tankers. While all 30 crew members were rescued, the vessel reportedly suffered critical damage to its engine room and subsequently sank off the coast of Libya.
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Photo by marinetraffic
The Facts:
- Incident Detail: The Arctic Metagaz (IMO 9243148) experienced sudden explosions followed by a massive fire at approximately 04:00 local time on March 3, 2026.
- Location: The vessel sank in international waters between Malta and Libya, specifically within the Libyan search and rescue zone.
- Vessel Status: The tanker was carrying 61,000 tons of LNG from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 facility in Murmansk and was en route to China. It was under active U.S. and U.K. sanctions at the time of the incident.
- Casualties: All 30 crew members, identified as Russian nationals, were rescued from a lifeboat by Maltese and Russian services and transferred to Benghazi.
- Attribution: Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ministry of Transport have attributed the strike to Ukrainian naval drones allegedly launched from the Libyan coast.
- Damage Report: Independent assessments and shared imagery suggest the vessel sustained a non-repairable hole in the engine room before sinking.
After the attack
Official Statements:
- Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “This is a terrorist attack. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of thing,”.
- Russian Transportation Ministry: The ministry described the strike as an “act of international terrorism and piracy,” claiming the vessel was operating in “full compliance with international regulations,”.
- Maltese Armed Forces: Confirmed receiving a distress signal from the vessel and that “All crew members are safe,”.
- Ukrainian Government: As of March 4, 2026, there has been no official comment from Kyiv regarding the incident.
Sources:
- The Moscow Times: Ukraine Behind ‘Terrorist’ Attack on Russian LNG Tanker, Putin Says
- Bloomberg/BNN: Rising energy prices from the Iran war could help Russia pay for fighting in Ukraine
- Reuters: Russian gas tanker sinks near Libya after explosions
- Ukrainian News: Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking its gas tanker in the Mediterranean
