On March 4, 2026, a Russian liquefied natural gas tanker named Arctic Metagaz sank in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately between Libya and Malta. The vessel had been carrying around 62,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and reportedly was struck by explosions that led to a fire before ultimately sinking. Libyan port officials reported that the ship sank about 130 nautical miles north of the Libyan port of Sirte. There were 30 Russians on board at the time of the incident. Russia has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack using uncrewed sea drones launched from the Libyan coast. However, there is no evidence provided by Moscow to substantiate this claim. Serbian Sternenko, a well-known blogger and advisor to Ukraine’s defense ministry, shared unverified images allegedly showing significant damage to the vessel, describing it as irreparable. He's suggested that Ukraine might have been involved, though the comments made by him are part of a broader narrative rather than definitive evidence. Vladimir Putin characterized the occurrence as a terrorist attack during an interview on state television, reiterating that such incidents are not a new experience for Russia. The Arctic Metagaz, which had departed from Murmansk in northern Russia, was supposedly en route to Port Said in Egypt. This tanker is part of what is often referred to as Russia's shadow fleet, a group of vessels that have been deployed amidst escalating international sanctions targeting Russian oil and gas exports. Marine tracking data indicated that before the incident, the tanker was last known to be sailing off the southeast coast of Malta. Reports from the day leading up to the fire suggest significant movement, implying the crew may have deactivated the vessel's automatic identification system following the explosions. These developments are part of Russia's broader strategy to circumvent international sanctions that have sought to restrict revenue flows essential for financing its military operations linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.