The crew of the Russian LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz has been found alive after they abandoned ship due to a fire in the central Mediterranean, as confirmed by Maltese authorities. The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) reported that their Rescue Coordination Centre received an alert regarding the distress situation while the vessel was outside Malta’s Search and Rescue Region. Following their protocols, RCC Malta verified the vessel’s position and coordinated efforts in accordance with international rescue obligations.
Survivors were located in a lifeboat within the Libyan Search and Rescue Region, with all crew members reported safe. This incident follows earlier reports that the Arctic Metagaz suffered a possible drone attack early on Tuesday morning, resulting in the fire. Maritime security representatives confirmed the ship was on fire, but details remained limited.
Data indicates that the Arctic Metagaz had recently loaded LNG in Russia before heading toward the Mediterranean. Its Automatic Identification System signal disappeared approximately 30 nautical miles off Malta’s northeastern coast before the incident. The vessel is part of Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project and has faced U.S. and UK sanctions since 2024.
While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, early reports suggested potential explosions. The situation is receiving increased scrutiny against the backdrop of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which operates outside traditional compliance frameworks.
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