Russian ship carrying 60,000 tons of gas drifts at sea after UAV strike

A Russian liquefied natural gas carrier caught fire after a UAV attack, forcing its crew to evacuate and leaving the vessel adrift in the Mediterranean Sea.

European maritime authorities are warning vessels to steer clear of the Russian-flagged ship Arctic Metagaz, which has been drifting for days after being attacked by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in the Mediterranean Sea.

According to Vessel Finder, the 277-meter-long ship departed from Murmansk port in Russia's Arctic region, carrying about 900 tons of diesel and over 60,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) en route to Egypt. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on 11/3 that the Arctic Metagaz was struck by a UAV in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 168 nautical miles southeast of Malta.

All 30 crew members evacuated to lifeboats after a fire erupted, with some sustaining burns. Libyan coast guard forces, in coordination with the Russian embassy in Libya, rescued them and took them to Benghazi.

The ship has since been drifting aimlessly at sea. Aerial images show the vessel with fire damage to its stern and bow, listing to one side, and its port side torn open, but the LNG containment tanks appear intact.

The Arctic Metagaz drifts in the Mediterranean Sea, 15/3. Photo: AFP

The Russian Ministry of Transport accused the Ukrainian navy of being behind the attack. Kyiv has not commented on the incident.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called this a "terrorist act." "Notably, the attack occurred near the coast of an EU member state, but no European nation has condemned the incident thus far," stated Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

The incident happened in international waters, but Italy is concerned that shifting winds could push the ship closer to its territorial waters.

The stern and bridge of the Arctic Metagaz were severely burned, forcing the crew to evacuate. Photo: AFP

CNN, citing informed sources, reported that during a special meeting last weekend, ministers advised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni not to allow the ship to be towed into the country's ports due to safety concerns, describing the Arctic Metagaz as a "time bomb full of gas."

In a statement after the meeting, Ms. Meloni said the Italian government is maintaining contact with Malta to closely monitor the situation. Both countries have dispatched tugboats and oil spill response vessels, ready to intervene if necessary.

In principle, the responsibility for towing the Arctic Metagaz lies with the Russian owner, LLC SMP Techmanagement, but neither Italian nor Maltese authorities have confirmed contact with the company.