An LNG carrier carrying Russian gas has entered the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since Moscow began diverting shipments away from the region after an explosion destroyed the tanker Arctic Metagaz earlier this month, ship-tracking data showed.
A liquefied natural gas carrier transporting Russian LNG has sailed into the Mediterranean Sea, marking the first such voyage since Moscow began steering shipments away from the region following a blast aboard the tanker Arctic Metagaz earlier this month, according to ship-tracking data.
The 174,000-cubic-meter LNG carrier LNG Merak passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on March 14 and is now heading northeast along the Spanish coastline, vessel tracking signals show.
The transit comes about two weeks after an explosion destroyed the tanker Arctic Metagaz roughly 170 nautical miles southeast of Malta in what Russian officials described as a suspected Ukrainian drone attack. There has been no official statement from Ukraine.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Russia began directing LNG carriers transporting its gas away from the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, apparently to keep them beyond the perceived operational range of Ukrainian maritime drones.
Several vessels changed course as a result. At least five tankers commonly linked to Russia’s emerging “shadow fleet” of LNG carriers were rerouted away from the Mediterranean, instead heading for the Cape of Good Hope. Some ships made mid-voyage U-turns, while another LNG tanker continues to wait off Port Said at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal rather than continuing into the Mediterranean.
The arrival of LNG Merak suggests those precautionary measures may now be easing, although the vessel differs significantly from the ships that were diverted earlier.
Unlike Arctic Metagaz, which had been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union and widely viewed as part of Russia’s growing fleet of opaque LNG carriers, LNG Merak operates under conventional commercial arrangements.
The ship is flagged in Hong Kong and managed by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), the world’s largest operator of LNG carriers. Neither the vessel nor its operator is subject to U.S. or EU sanctions, though MOL had three other LNG carriers temporarily blocked by the EU in 2025.
It is also transporting cargo from the long-established Yamal LNG project in the Russian Arctic rather than the heavily sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 development.
According to ship-tracking data, LNG Merak received its cargo on March 6 via a ship-to-ship transfer with the ice-class tanker Vladimir Vize near the Kildin anchorage off Murmansk. The transfer occurred three days after the explosion involving Arctic Metagaz.
The Kildin anchorage has increasingly been used to move LNG from ice-class Arc7 tankers operating in the Arctic onto conventional LNG carriers, especially since a ban on transshipments across EU ports came into effect last year. The practice allows Russia to maximize the use of the specialized Arc7 vessels, which are capable of breaking through thick ice along the Northern Sea Route but are in short supply. By shifting cargo to standard LNG carriers further south, Russia can redeploy its Arc7 fleet more quickly back to the Sabetta loading terminal.
It was not immediately clear where LNG Merak intends to discharge its cargo, as the vessel is not currently signaling a destination.
Spain is considered the most likely destination. The country has remained one of Europe’s largest buyers of Russian LNG despite broader EU efforts to reduce energy dependence on Moscow. In 2025 Spain received 38 cargoes of Russian LNG, or roughly 2.8 million tonnes, down from 54 shipments the previous year.
While LNG Merak’s established ownership, insurance and flag may reduce the likelihood of it becoming a target, Ukraine has in recent months struck several Western-owned or operated merchant vessels connected to Russian trade. Earlier targets include the Greek-flagged oil tanker Maran Homer as well as the bulk carriers Namura Queen and Yasa Jupiter, which are owned by Japanese and Turkish interests respectively.
The incident involving Arctic Metagaz highlights the growing risks faced by vessels linked to Russian energy exports as the war in Ukraine spills into maritime trade routes. Whether LNG Merak’s passage signals a broader return of Russian LNG shipments to the Mediterranean remains to be seen.
