A Russian tanker carrying liquefied gas sank in the Mediterranean on the 4th of march, and Moscow blames Ukrainian drones, which were allegedly launched from Libya, Reuters writes.
The Libyan maritime rescue agency reported that the tanker Arctic Metagaz sank after catching fire between the coasts of Libya and Malta. The report indicates that the tanker caught fire after sudden explosions, and then completely sank.
Ukrainian forces regularly carry out strikes on Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure in order to weaken Moscow’s ability to finance aggression, but this, if the Ukrainian involvement is confirmed, is the first time that an attack on a liquefied gas tanker has occurred. Ukraine’s Security Service did not respond to a request for comment.
The Russian Transport Ministry said a tanker carrying liquefied gas from the Arctic port of Murmansk was attacked by Ukrainian drones and launched from the Libyan coast. All 30 crew members, all Russian citizens, were rescued.
The ministry said it considered the incident an act of international terrorism and piracy,
a serious violation of international maritime law.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation said it had no involvement in the sinking of the tanker, noting that it was en route to the port of Saida in Egypt. Egypt’s Petrol Ministry denied any knowledge of the tanker, stressing that it was not en route to any of the country’s ports. The ministry said the tanker was not mentioned in contracts for the supply of liquefied gas to Egypt.
The ship’s Russian owner, LLC SMP Techmanagement, and Russian LNG producer Novatek have not commented on the incident.
Libya has warned other ships to stay away from the area and asked them to report any pollution.
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