TRIPOLI: Russia accused Ukraine on Wednesday of using naval drones to attack one of its liquefied natural gas carriers in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, a strike which led to its sinking.
Kyiv has not commented on the attack, which would be a rare successful hit on a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel while it was some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Ukraine.
The Libyan port authority said the Russian carrier, Arctic Metagaz, sank after “sudden explosions” north of the port of Sirte.
The ship “had experienced sudden explosions followed by a massive fire, which ultimately led to its complete sinking” on Tuesday night, it said.
Moscow said the tanker had been attacked by Ukrainian naval drones in “an act of international terrorism and maritime piracy.”
