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Russia Accuses Ukraine of Targeting Gas Tanker in the Mediterranean
Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind an attack on a Russian gas tanker in the Mediterranean, an incident that has raised concerns about the potential escalation of naval confrontations between the two nations beyond the Black Sea.
The Russian Ministry of Transport stated that Ukrainian naval aircraft or drones attacked the gas tanker “Arctic Metagas” while it was sailing in the Central Mediterranean, resulting in a fire on board the vessel.
Moscow described the attack as an “international terrorist act” targeting a civilian ship transporting liquefied natural gas, noting that all 30 crew members, who are of Russian nationality, survived the incident without injuries.
According to ship tracking data, the tanker was navigating off the coast of Malta when the incident occurred, with reports indicating that the crew managed to evacuate the vessel after the fire broke out and was later rescued.
The tanker is under Western sanctions related to the Russian energy sector, part of measures imposed by the United States and the United Kingdom on certain ships linked to Russian energy exports since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
As of now, there has been no official comment from Kyiv regarding the Russian accusations, and independent sources have not fully confirmed the details of the attack.
The Russian allegation comes amid escalating exchanges of strikes related to energy and transportation infrastructure since the war began between the two countries in February 2022, raising fears of a broader confrontation impacting vital shipping routes in the Mediterranean.
