According to Libyan media reports, forces loyal to the strongman of eastern Libya Khalifa Haftar dispatched a naval patrol vessel and a team of divers to monitor the Arctic Metagaz on Monday, April 6. The Russian LNG tanker has been drifting in the Mediterranean since a Libyan towing operation failed four days earlier. This is the latest twist in a maritime saga that began on March 3 off the Libyan coast. The Arctic Metagaz caught fire following an explosion while carrying 60,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) – natural gas cooled to -160°C to facilitate transport. All crew members were rescued. Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the incident, Russia has accused Kyiv of targeting the tanker with naval drones launched from Libya. An investigation by RFI appears to support this claim. These images show the Arctic Metagaz on fire on March 3, 2026. Source: X/@trbrtc To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices The vessel, sanctioned by the US and the …