Russia has shown damaged, sanctioned gas tanker "Arctic Metagaz" off coast of Libya. PHOTO
Russia has published photographs of the sanctioned gas tanker "Arctic Metagaz", which sustained critical damage in March 2026 off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea. The Russians are, as usual, attempting to blame Ukraine for a "terrorist attack".
This is reported by the Russian news agency Interfax, citing the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, according to Censor.NET.
What is known?
Representatives of the aggressor country have once again attempted to blame Ukraine for the attack on the vessel. The Ukrainian side has not provided any official comments regarding these accusations.
According to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, their investigators arrived in Libya, where the vessel is currently located, and conducted an inspection using UAVs and underwater vehicles. The agency’s official spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, stated that the inspection revealed "traces of fire, the complete destruction of control systems and the damage to two of the four gas tanks".
"The nature of the damage indicates external impact from explosive devices," the Russian Investigative Committee claims, adding that no fuel leaks were reportedly detected.
The Russians have also put forward their own version of events, according to which on 3 March 2026, the gas tanker was struck by at least two drones and three unmanned boats.
Background:
- It should be recalled that the Russian Ministry of Transport had previously classified this incident in the Mediterranean Sea as an "act of international terrorism and maritime piracy". At the time, the crew was forced to abandon the vessel, after which it drifted for a long time between Libya and Malta.
