VIDEO | Russian-flagged sanctioned LNG tanker on fire in the Mediterranean, crew located in lifeboat off Libya

The Russian-flagged liquefied natural gas tanker Arctic Metagaz is on fire in the Mediterranean, maritime security sources said on Tuesday, while Malta's armed forces said the vessel's crew had been located safe in a lifeboat within Libya's search-and-rescue region.

The vessel, which is under US and UK sanctions, last reported its position as sailing off the coast of Malta on Monday, according to ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform.

The vessel may have been attacked by a naval drone with Ukraine suspected of carrying out the operation, one of the sources said without providing evidence. Malta's armed forces said they had received a distress message about the vessel and had located it, without elaborating on the vessel's state.