Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) says the sinking of the Russian gas tanker Arctic Metagas off the Libyan coast has not disrupted oil and gas supplies or fuel distribution in the country. The Cotrporation stressed in a statement that tanker traffic at Libyan Ports continues to operate normally.
The NOC explained that the vessel was not affiliated with the corporation and had been travelling from Murmansk in Russia to Port Said in Egypt when the incident occurred. It added that operational readiness at Libyan ports had been heightened to ensure the safety and continuity of maritime activities.
According to Libya’s Search and Rescue Centre, the tanker suffered a sudden explosion followed by a fire before sinking within Libya’s maritime responsibility area. All crew members were rescued after a nearby cargo vessel, Ribext, which was heading to Benghazi, was directed to respond to the distress call and successfully brought the crew on board unharmed.
Authorities have since warned ships and maritime units to avoid the sinking site due to the presence of wreckage whose depth and dimensions remain unclear, posing potential risks to navigation. Officials also cautioned about possible environmental hazards if liquefied natural gas or petroleum materials leak from the submerged tanker.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Transport claimed the tanker had been targeted by Ukrainian drone boats in the Mediterranean Sea. The ministry said the vessel carried 30 Russian crew members, all of whom were rescued without any casualties.
