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Sanctioned Russian LNG Tanker Arctic Metagaz Erupts in Flames After Drone Attack

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Photo of Ivan Khomenko
Ivan Khomenko
News Writer
A breach in the hull of the sanctioned Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz after a drone strike. (Source: Serhii Sternenko)
A breach in the hull of the sanctioned Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz after a drone strike. (Source: Serhii Sternenko)

A Russian-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, the Arctic Metagaz, caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea on March 3 following a reported drone attack.

The vessel, which is under extensive international sanctions, was reportedly targeted while navigating between Malta and Libya.

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According to the maritime publication gCaptain, the vessel erupted in flames on the morning of March 3. OSINT analyst H. I. Sutton and the Greek news outlet Naftemporiki reported that explosions preceded the fire.

While the exact nature of the weaponry is being analyzed, The Times of Malta and Reuters cited sources stating the tanker was likely struck by a drone around 4:00 AM.

The Armed Forces of Malta confirmed they received a distress report and deployed units to the scene. According to Reuters, the 30-member crew, all Russian nationals, abandoned the ship and were rescued from a lifeboat within the Libyan search-and-rescue zone.

The vessel’s tracking data suggests a deliberate attempt to mask its movement. Data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence showed that the Arctic Metagaz disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS) on the evening of March 2 after exiting Malta’s exclusive economic zone.

The Arctic Metagaz is a key component of Russia’s shadow fleet, designed to bypass Western energy restrictions. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the vessel is involved in transporting LNG from the sanctioned Arctic LNG-2 project to the Beihai terminal in China.

The ship recently loaded cargo from the Saam floating storage unit (FSU) near Murmansk on February 18 before sailing around the United Kingdom and Spain to enter the Mediterranean.

The vessel is currently subject to sanctions imposed by:

  • The United States and the United Kingdom;

  • The European Union and Switzerland;

  • Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Ukrainian volunteer and advisor to the Minister of Defense, Serhii Sternenko, claimed to possess “exclusive footage” showing a significant breach in the vessel’s hull near the engine room, further supporting the theory of a kinetic strike.

Ukrainian intelligence officials have noted that the Arctic Metagaz frequently utilizes “spoofing"—transmitting false positioning data—to hide its location. This practice is a direct violation of international maritime law.

The vessel’s involvement with the Arctic LNG-2 project makes it a primary target for enforcement of the global sanctions regime intended to limit Russia’s energy revenues.

The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation eventually confirmed the incident, as reported by the state news agency TASS. The ministry attributed the strike to Ukrainian “uncrewed cutters” (USVs) operating from the Libyan coast.

Earlier, a €500,000 reward was offered online for information on the location of the sanctioned oil tanker Omra (IMO 9264881), a vessel linked to the shadow fleet transporting Russian and Iranian oil. The tanker was last tracked near Malaysia on February 17 after previously operating in Iranian waters.

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