Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova described the incident as a 'gross violation of international law' with potentially 'grave consequences'.
Key Points
- Russia condemned a drone strike on LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean Sea, calling it a violation of international law.
- The vessel was 168 nautical miles off Malta, carrying 100,000 cubic metres of LNG and 30 Russian crew members.
- The attack caused a fire and gas explosion, forcing the crew to evacuate via lifeboats, though no deaths were reported.
- Two sailors suffered serious burns and were treated in Benghazi, Libya, before being flown back to Russia.
- Russia accused EU countries of remaining silent despite the attack occurring near an EU member state.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has issued a strong condemnation following a drone strike on the LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean Sea.
She described the incident as a 'gross violation of international law' with potentially 'grave consequences'.
Detailing the incident, Zakharova said that on March 3 at 4.25 am, the vessel was targeted by maritime and aerial drones in neutral waters in the central Mediterranean Sea.
At the time of the attack, the ship was located 168 nautical miles southeast of the coast of Malta, carrying 100,000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas and a crew of 30 Russian sailors.
The strike caused the vessel to lose propulsion and electrical power, triggering a fire and gas explosion on board.
Russia slams Europe for 'refusing evacuation'
Despite the critical situation, the crew reportedly showed 'exceptional courage and composure', successfully evacuating the burning vessel using lifeboats.
No casualties were reported.
A search-and-rescue operation was launched by nearby ships with Russian crews, one of which located the drifting lifeboat.
By 8.30 pm the same day, all crew members were rescued by a tanker that came to their aid.
Zakharova said that while the rescue was underway, 'false reports appeared in Western media claiming the vessel had caught fire on its own and sank'.
The situation was further complicated as two crew members sustained serious burns, requiring urgent medical evacuation.
However, Zakharova alleged that Malta's maritime authorities refused to assist in the evacuation.
In the absence of European assistance, help was eventually provided by the maritime rescue service of Libya.
A high-speed boat transported the injured sailors to a hospital in the port of Benghazi.
After four days of treatment and coordination with the Russian Embassy in Libya, the two sailors were flown back to Russia on March 10 on a special flight and admitted to hospital.
Zakharova said the nature of the strike leaves no doubt about its legality, calling it a 'deliberate strike against a civilian target' that could have caused large-scale loss of life and environmental damage.
"In other words -- a terrorist attack and a war crime," she said.
She also criticised the international response, noting that the attack occurred close to the shores of a European Union member state but no European country has condemned it so far, which Moscow views as troubling silence from European nations.
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