The Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said overnight that the boat, which was carrying liquefied natural gas in the Mediterranean, had sunk after « sudden explosions » of unknown origin between Malta and Libya.
Moscow accused Ukraine on Wednesday 4 March of having attacked, using naval drones, a Russian ship carrying liquefied natural gas in the Mediterranean and which sank according to the Libyan authorities between Malta and Libya.
The attack « was launched from the Libyan coast using unmanned boats belonging to Ukraine, » the Russian Ministry of Transport said in a statement.
« We qualify what happened as an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy, » he added. There was no immediate reaction from the Ukrainian authorities to the accusations.
In December, Ukraine said it had struck a Russian « ghost fleet » tanker in the Mediterranean for the first time.
A source in Ukraine’s security services said aerial drones were used for the operation, which was carried out some 2,000 kilometres from Ukraine, without specifying where it was launched.
According to Moscow, Tripoli and Valletta, the 30 crew members of the Russian LNG carrier are safe and sound.
« The survivors were located in the Libyan search and rescue zone aboard a lifeboat, » the Maltese armed forces said late Tuesday. The ship was loaded and en route from the Russian port of Murmansk to Port Said, Egypt.
The Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said overnight that the boat had sunk after « sudden explosions » of unknown origin.
A distress call from the Arctic Metagaz was received on Tuesday evening, it said, adding that the explosions were « followed by a huge fire that led to its complete sinking ».
« No impact on oil and gas supplies »
The Libyan National Oil Company (NOC) said the fire and sinking had « no impact on the supply of oil and gas » to Libya, « nor on fuel distribution operations on the local market ».
She also wanted to reassure that « all necessary measures » had been taken to « guarantee the safety of navigation and maritime operations », and said that tanker traffic in Libyan ports was continuing normally.Intimidation, drone launches, clandestine oil: what is Russia’s ghost fleet hiding?
According to Libyan authorities, the wreckage is located about 130 nautical miles north of the Libyan seaport of Sirte.
The Libyan Ports Authority warned other ships against approaching the site, due to the risk of collision as well as leakage of liquefied natural gas or fuel from the LNG carrier’s tanks.
She called for « the utmost caution » in order to avoid any risk of fire or marine pollution.
source : bfmtv
