Russia has shown its gas tanker, which was set ablaze by unknown forces off the coast of Libya

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. Representatives of the aggressor country once again attempted to blame Ukraine for the attack on the vessel, as usual claiming it was a "terrorist act." 

This was reported by the Russian news agency Interfax, citing the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. 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 and inspected the vessel using UAVs and underwater vehicles. Svetlana Petrenko, an official representative of the agency, stated that the inspection revealed traces of a fire, the complete destruction of control systems, and the damage to two of the four gas tanks. The Russians claim that the nature of the damage indicates external impact from explosive devices, while no fuel leaks were allegedly detected. They also presented their own version of events, according to which on March 3, 2026, the gas tanker was struck by at least two drones and three unmanned boats.

At the same time, Russia accused the Libyan government of supporting the Ukrainian side with the involvement of British intelligence agencies.