On March 4, the Russian Ministry of Transport began claiming that the Russian tanker Arktyk Metagaz had become a new target for Ukraine in the Mediterranean Sea near the territorial waters of Malta.
Points of attention
- All 30 crew members, who are Russian citizens, were successfully rescued with the coordinated efforts of Maltese and Russian rescue services.
- The incident adds to the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia accusing Ukraine of unprovoked aggression.
Russia is suffering again due to attacks on its tankers
On March 4, information first appeared that the Russian-flagged tanker Arctic Metagaz had caught fire.
It was transporting liquefied natural gas — it happened in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Transport responded instantly to this event.
The tanker was traveling with cargo, registered in accordance with all international regulations, from the port of Murmansk. It was attacked from the coast of Libya by Ukrainian drones, the official statement of the enemy agency says.
The Russian Ministry of Transport continues to assure that thanks to the coordinated actions of the Maltese and Russian rescue services, all 30 crew members — Russian citizens — were rescued.
Interestingly, the authorities of the aggressor country Russia, which has been waging an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine for over 12 years, qualify what happened "as an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy."
Ukraine has not yet confirmed its involvement in this attack.
