Moscow accuses Ukraine of first LNG tanker attack

On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Transport accused Ukraine of attacking the Russian liquefied natural gas tanker Arctic Metagaz, which caught fire in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday. If confirmed, it would be the first known Ukrainian attack on a Russian ship carrying LNG.

According to Moscow, the vessel was struck by Ukrainian naval drones. The ministry described the incident as ‘an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy’, saying it violated basic norms of international maritime law.

The ship was carrying cargo from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk. According to Russian authorities, the attack took place in international waters near Malta. Moscow also thanked Maltese rescue services for their assistance.

There were 30 Russian crew members on board, the Ministry of Transport said, adding that all are safe.

Russia also claims the drones were launched from the Libyan coast. Ukraine’s Security Service did not immediately comment on the allegations. Neither the vessel’s operator, LLC SMP Techmanagement, nor Russian LNG producer Novatek has yet commented on the incident.(reuters, lud)