Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Left Adrift in Mediterranean After Explosion

A Russian “shadow fleet” tanker is currently drifting in the Mediterranean Sea with a large hole in its hull and no crew on board.

The vessel, known as the Arctic Metagas, carries thousands of tons of fuel and has been drifting for three weeks, according to BBC News on March 18.

The damage was likely caused by an explosion. Russia claims the ship was attacked by Ukrainian maritime drones, but there has been no independent confirmation of this version of events.

The vessel is a gas carrier built in 2003 and flies the Russian flag. It was transporting over 60,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Arctic LNG 2, a major Russian production plant on the Gydan Peninsula.

This project is controlled by the company Novatek and has been under Western sanctions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The ownership structure of the Arctic Metagas was hidden through various shell companies.

As part of the shadow fleet, the vessel helps Russia export oil and gas while bypassing international sanctions. In 2025, the ship traveled through the Northern Sea Route to deliver cargo to China despite not having an ice-class rating. The tanker is currently listed on sanction lists in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom.

The Arctic Metagas departed from Murmansk on February 24 and loaded LNG at a floating terminal. It traveled around Europe and entered the Mediterranean heading toward the Suez Canal, with a likely final destination in Asia.

On March 3, an explosion and fire occurred on the ship. The crew of approximately 30 people evacuated the vessel using lifeboats.

According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, “Malta did not want to rescue the crew members, and they were accepted by Libya.”

Specifically, they were taken in by the eastern Libyan government based in Benghazi rather than the UN-recognized government in Tripoli. The eastern government is led by General Khalifa Haftar, who maintains close ties with the UAE and Russia.

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The damaged tanker is now drifting between Malta, Italy, and Libya. In addition to the LNG, the ship carries hundreds of tons of diesel and fuel oil.

Mediterranean countries, including Italy, have asked the European Commission to take action to prevent an environmental disaster if the fuel spills into the sea.

Currently, no party has taken responsibility for salvaging the ship. Because the Arctic Metagas is under sanctions and has a complex ownership structure, it exists in a legal vacuum as it moves toward Libyan waters.

Previously, the Russian oil tanker Progress, which was under sanctions from the European Union and the United Kingdom, drifted out of control in the Mediterranean Sea after experiencing mechanical issues off the coast of Algeria.

The vessel was carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of Russian Urals crude and had been traveling toward the Suez Canal when it abruptly changed course and left established shipping lanes.

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