On 4 March, the Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said that Libya’s Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) had received a distress call on the evening of 3 March from the Russian Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) carrier Arctic Metagaz. The call indicated that the tanker was subjected to sudden explosions followed by a massive fire. At that moment, the ship was located in the Libyan Search and Rescue zone, about 130 nautical miles north of Sirte. All 30 Russian crew members managed to get into a lifeboat.
The Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority initially reported that the ship subsequently sank, but later reported it remained adrift.
The Libyan RCC, in immediate coordination with its Maltese counterpart, began search and rescue operations. A cargo ship heading to the port of Benghazi was the closest ship to the accident site. At 7:38 p.m. on the day of the accident, the cargo ship managed to rescue the tanker’s entire crew of 30 sailors. Two Russian sailors that suffered burns were taken to a medical facility in Benghazi. Their condition is stable.
Libyan Authorities issued navigational warnings, noting that the wreck’s exact depth and dimensions are still unknown, posing a hazard to shipping. They also warned of possible environmental risks from leaking LNG or fuel and stressed that only authorized response vessels may approach the site. Ships transiting the area were urged to exercise maximum caution and report any pollution or unusual activity. They said updated navigational notices will follow once surveys of the wreck are completed.
The ship was hit by a naval drone at the front third at the waterline. The explosion ripped a 10 x 10 m hole in the ship’s side.
On 4 March, Russia’s Transport Ministry said that the vessel was hit by Ukrainian sea drones launched from the Libyan coast. According to the Ministry, the ship was carrying cargo cleared in accordance with all international regulations. It classified the incident as ‘an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy’. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident a terrorist attack and said that this is not the first time Russia has encountered something like this.
Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources denied any connection between Egypt and the LNG tanker involved in the incident off the Libyan coast. The ministry stressed that the vessel was not heading to any Egyptian port and had no contractual links to supply or receive gas shipments for Egypt. In its statement, the ministry rejected all circulating claims about the tanker travelling to Egypt as completely false, urging accuracy and reliance on official sources before publishing information. It also affirmed that it reserves the right to take legal action, inside or outside Egypt, against those spreading rumours or misinformation that harm national interests.
On 6 March, the Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said that contrary to previous information, the Arctic Metagaz has not sunk and is currently adrift and abandoned at sea, listing heavily due to water ingress into some of its tanks. The ship is drifting southeast of Malta towards Italian territorial water of Lampedusa island. All passing ships were warned again not to approach the abandoned tanker due to the risk of sudden capsizing or explosion.
The Authority clarified that initial information received on 3 March was based on preliminary reports from Maltese reconnaissance aircraft, which predicted that the ship would sink due to severe cracking, water ingress, and significant listing. However, subsequent monitoring with the participation of the Italian and Maltese centres confirmed that the double hull limited the spread of water, keeping it afloat, albeit with a severe and dangerous list.