Oil tanker near Libya hit by explosion, limpet mine suspected

A tanker carrying 1 million barrels of oil suffered an explosion off the coast of Libya, its operator confirmed on Monday.

The vessel, named Vilamoura, is now being towed to Greece, where the full extent of the damage will be assessed, Bloomberg reports. The blast caused significant flooding in the engine room after water entered the ship, according to a spokesperson for TMS Tankers.

Preliminary reports suggest a limpet mine—a naval explosive device attached magnetically to a ship’s hull by divers or swimmers—may have triggered the blast, four maritime security sources told Reuters.

However, a company source told Reuters that TMS Tankers cannot confirm the cause until a thorough inspection is completed when the Vilamoura reaches Greece on July 2.

The incident comes amid a string of mysterious explosions targeting oil tankers that have recently visited Russian ports. As a result, shipowners have begun inspecting their vessels’ hulls for mines using divers and underwater drones.

The Vilamoura had made two trips since April to Russian oil terminals to load Kazakh oil, not Russian barrels, Bloomberg reports. It previously docked at Ust-Luga in April and the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal near Novorossiysk in May—both in Russia.

British maritime security firm Dryad Global suggested the incidents may be tied to geopolitical tensions and Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began. In February, Ukrainian drones struck the Caspian Pipeline Consortium route, which handles the bulk of Kazakh oil exports.

TMS Tankers said there was no oil spill from the blast on the Vilamoura and all crew members are safe.