Russia Points to Ukrainian Naval Drones in Mediterranean Tanker Sinking

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1155 EAT on Thursday 5 March 2026

A Russian liquefied natural gas tanker sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta after explosions triggered a fire aboard the vessel, Libyan port officials said.

Russia blamed Ukraine, saying the tanker Arctic Metagaz had been targeted by “uncrewed sea drones” launched from the Libyan coast.

Ukraine’s Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) did not immediately comment on the accusation, while Libyan port authorities said the exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined.

Libyan officials said the vessel had been carrying about 62,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas before the blasts and sank roughly 130 nautical miles (240 km) north of the Libyan port city of Sirte.

Russia’s transport ministry said 30 Russian nationals were aboard the tanker Arctic Metagaz. Byron Camilleri, Malta’s home affairs minister, said they were all found “safe and sound in a lifeboat” during a rescue operation carried out by the Armed Forces of Malta.

Unverified night-time footage has also circulated online, purportedly showing the vessel ablaze after the attack, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday.

Serhii Sternenko, a prominent blogger and adviser to Ukraine’s defence minister, posted images on Wednesday that he said showed the tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, claiming it had a “serious hole in the engine room compartment and is beyond repair”.

He did not say where the images originated, and they could not be independently verified.
“This is a terrorist attack,” Vladimir Putin told state television. “This isn’t the first time we’ve encountered something like this.”

Russia’s transport ministry described the incident as “an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy,” and accused the European Union of complicity.

Moscow said the Arctic Metagaz, which had departed from Murmansk in northern Russia, was carrying cargo cleared in accordance with international regulations.

The tanker was reportedly heading for Port Said in Egypt and is believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” vessels widely sanctioned by Western countries.

Russia’s transport ministry did not provide evidence to support its claim that the tanker had been attacked by Ukrainian sea drones, although earlier unconfirmed reports suggested possible strikes launched from the coast of Libya.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told BBC Ukraine it would not comment on “the situation with the tanker in the Mediterranean Sea.” However, United24, a Ukrainian government-linked social media account, posted a message suggesting the drones were “definitely… maybe not” part of Ukraine’s fleet.

Marine tracking data indicated that a day before the fire the tanker had last reported its position off the south-east coast of Malta.

By the time the fire was reported, the vessel had travelled a considerable distance, leading to speculation that the crew may have switched off its automatic identification system.

Moscow has increasingly relied on a growing fleet of tankers to transport oil and gas in a bid to circumvent international sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine, which aim to cut off revenues funding the war.

Russia’s so-called shadow fleet is largely made up of ageing vessels, many with obscure ownership structures or limited insurance coverage.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has carried out several attacks on such vessels using naval drones. However, most of those strikes have taken place in the Black Sea, which both Russia and Ukraine border.

Source: BBC

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