Maritime Tensions Escalate as Crude Tanker Explodes Off the Libyan Coast

A recent publication by maritime security consultancy Vanguard reveals that a Greek-operated crude oil tanker, the Vilamoura, experienced an explosion while navigating the central Mediterranean near Libya.

The incident took place approximately 80 nautical miles from the Libyan coastline, leading to significant concerns about maritime safety in the region. Following the explosion, which reportedly caused flooding in the engine room of the 158,000 deadweight ton vessel, details regarding injuries or cargo damage remain unverified.

On Saturday afternoon,assistance arrived as the oceangoing tug Boka Summit reached VilamouraS location close to Benghazi. Tracking data from Pole Star indicates that this tug began towing the damaged tanker. By Sunday evening, both vessels were slowly making their way through Mediterranean waters towards Greece at a speed of around four knots.

while investigators have yet to determine what triggered this explosion definitively,some maritime experts speculate it could be linked to a limpet mine attack—a tactic that has raised alarms given recent trends in maritime incidents.

Interestingly enough, over the past year and prior to this event, Vilamoura had docked at Russian ports twice—once in Ust-Luga and again within Black Sea territory—raising eyebrows among analysts who are now considering whether these visits might play a role in understanding what happened. the vessel was also reported near key export terminals for russian and Kazakh crude oil during its travels.

As early 2025 alone, there have been multiple unexplained explosions involving oil tankers; many experts suspect limpet mines might potentially be behind these occurrences as well. Notable vessels affected include Grace Ferrum (liberia-flagged),Seacharm (marshall Islands-flagged),Seajewel (Malta-flagged),and Kola (Antigua and Barbuda-flagged)—all of which had recently visited Russian ports before their respective incidents.

As investigations into Vilamoura’s explosion continue to unfold, it’s clear that maritime security remains a pressing concern amid rising geopolitical tensions affecting shipping routes worldwide.