Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 4, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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A Russian‑flagged LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, caught fire and exploded on March 3, 2026, approximately 240 km off Libya’s coast, sinking between Libya and Malta. All 30 crew were rescued; Russia blames Ukrainian naval drones for the incident, while the cause remains unconfirmed.
March 4 (Reuters) - Russian gas tanker Arctic Metagaz (IMO number 9243148) sank near Libya's coast following explosions and a fire, Libya's maritime rescue agency said in an advisory on Wednesday seen by Reuters.
"A distress call was received on Tuesday evening, March 3, 2026, from the commercial tanker named Arctic Metagaz. Information indicates that the tanker experienced sudden explosions followed by a massive fire, which ultimately led to its complete sinking", the agency said in the note.
"The tanker has been confirmed to have completely sunk at the site of the incident. The wreckage lies in the maritime area between Libya and Malta (within the Libyan search and rescue zone) ...", the note said.
Russia's transport ministry said on Wednesday that Ukrainian naval drones were responsible for an attack on the Arctic Metagaz.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul. Editing by Mark Potter)
The Arctic Metagaz sank off Libya's coast after sudden explosions and a massive fire, according to Libya's maritime rescue agency.
The incident occurred on March 3, 2026, with the distress call received in the evening.
Russia's transport ministry stated that Ukrainian naval drones were responsible for the attack.
The wreckage is in the maritime area between Libya and Malta, within the Libyan search and rescue zone.
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