Russian shadow fleet LNG tanker sinks after ‘sudden explosions’ off Libya coast

A Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, the Arctic Metagaz, has sunk in the central Mediterranean between Libya and Malta after a “sudden explosion” triggered a massive blaze on board, Libya’s ports and maritime transport authority said on Wednesday.They added that all 30 crew members were rescued in nearby Libyan waters.Libya’s ports and maritime transport authority said Arctic Metagaz tanker “had experienced sudden explosions followed by a massive fire, which ultimately led to its complete sinking,” ultimately led to the tanker’s complete sinking north of the Libyan coast.There have been no immediate reports of casualties among the crew.According to local reports, Russia’s transport ministry later accused Ukraine of launching a naval‑drone attack against the tanker from the Libyan coast, claiming that the Arctic Metagaz was struck by uncrewed surface vessels, but Kyiv has not publicly commented on the allegation.

Maltese armed forces, whose Rescue Coordination Centre helped coordinate the response, said survivors from the Arctic Metagaz were found in a lifeboat inside Libya’s search‑and‑rescue area and were all reported safe.Tracking data showed the ship had earlier loaded LNG at a Russian floating storage unit before sailing around Western Europe into the Mediterranean, where its Automatic Identification System signal disappeared roughly 30 nautical miles off Malta’s northeastern coast prior to the fire.

The Armed Forces of Malta said they were alerted to a distress situation involving the Arctic Metagaz outside Malta’s search‑and‑rescue region and initiated verification procedures, locating the vessel and working with international partners before survivors were later found in a lifeboat in Libyan waters.According to Maltese and Libyan authorities, the crew abandoned ship as the fire spread, and were subsequently transferred to another vessel after rescue coordination messages were broadcast to nearby shipping.