On Tuesday, reports and images emerged indicating that the ship was on fire somewhere between Malta and Libya.
Russian authorities accuse Ukraine of attacking the ship with unmanned aerial vehicles, which is difficult for outsiders to verify at this early stage. They claim that such an attack was carried out from the Libyan coast and describe it as a serious crime.
Authorities in Libya said early on that the ship had made a distress call after "sudden explosions".
The ship is called Arctic Metagaz. It is just over 270 meters long and transports liquefied fossil gas. Maritime traffic websites show the ship's last reported position just east of Malta.
The ship's crew of 30 Russian citizens were reportedly rescued and are alive. According to Maltese authorities, the entire group was found in a lifeboat.
The ship is subject to sanctions. It has apparently been sailing under the regular Russian flag, unlike most of the ships in Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
