Sanctioned Russian LNG carrier sinks after explosion near Malta

A Russian-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has reportedly sunk in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion and fire, with Moscow accusing Ukraine of carrying out a naval drone attack near Malta, while Libyan authorities reported a blast off their own coast.

Russia’s Transport Ministry said Wednesday that the LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz was attacked on Tuesday near the territorial waters of EU member Malta. According to the ministry, a Ukrainian maritime drone launched from the Libyan coast struck the vessel as it was carrying cargo documented “in full compliance with international regulations” from the Arctic port of Murmansk.

“We qualify what happened as an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy, a gross violation of the fundamental norms of international maritime law,” the ministry said in a statement. It also alleged that such actions were being carried out with the “tacit consent” of EU member state authorities.

If confirmed, it would mark the first time Ukraine has attacked a Russian LNG carrier. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. The Security Service of Ukraine did not respond to a request for comment.

Russian and Maltese rescue services brought all 30 crew members, all Russian nationals, to safety, Moscow said, thanking Malta for its assistance.

However, authorities in Libya presented a different account of events. The Libyan Maritime Authority said the Russian-flagged tanker exploded and caught fire on Tuesday while it was about 240 kilometres (150 miles) off the coast of the city of Sirte.

According to a statement cited by the Associated Press, there were “sudden explosions, followed by a massive fire” on board the Arctic Metagaz. The vessel, carrying 61,000 tonnes of LNG, “completely sank” between Libya and Malta. All 30 crew members were rescued and transferred to another vessel heading towards the Libyan city of Benghazi. No casualties were reported.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, and it remains uncertain whether the blast resulted from an external attack or from an onboard incident. No independent verification of the competing claims has so far been made public.

The tanker had sailed from Murmansk on the Barents Sea and was bound for Port Said in Egypt. Its last reported position, according to the ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, was in the western Mediterranean off the coast of Malta.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation said it had no involvement with the LNG carrier.

The Arctic Metagaz was reportedly under Western sanctions and suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of energy tankers, used to bypass restrictions imposed on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. The vessel’s Russia-based manager, LLC SMP Techmanagement, and Russia’s largest LNG producer Novatek had not commented at the time of reporting.

Ukraine has frequently targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure, arguing that such strikes are intended to reduce funding for Moscow’s war effort. It is worth recalling that Ukraine has carried out several successful drone strikes on Russian shadow fleet oil tankers in the Black Sea since November 2025, including attacks on vessels like the Kairos, Virat, and Dashan using Sea Baby maritime drones to disrupt Moscow’s sanction-evading oil exports. However, it has not publicly addressed the reported incident involving the LNG carrier.

The sinking comes at a time of heightened instability in global energy markets, already rattled by escalating tensions in the Middle East. Any disruption affecting energy shipments through the Mediterranean adds to broader concerns over supply security, insurance risks and price volatility for LNG deliveries.

In December 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced what it described as its first operation in the Mediterranean. According to the SBU, aerial drones launched from hexacopters struck the shadow fleet tanker Qendil southwest of Crete, at a distance of more than 2,000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory. The agency characterised the strike as “an unprecedented special operation” carried out by its Alpha unit and said the vessel suffered critical damage.

On 22 January, the French Navy intercepted and seized another shadow fleet tanker, Grinch, between Spain and Morocco. The ship had departed from Murmansk and was reportedly sailing under a false Comoros flag. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly announced the operation. In a separate move, Germany denied the tanker Tavian access to Baltic waters, while the United States has seized seven sanctioned tankers since December.