A floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and an LNG carrier were struck in an apparent drone attack at Egypt's Damietta terminal, a development that could extend the Middle East's widening maritime conflict into the Mediterranean.

Maritime security firm Ambrey assessed that an unidentified drone struck the US-owned FSRU Energos Winter while the vessel was alongside on Wednesday. The impact ignited a fire that spread to the adjacent LNG carrier GasLog Salem. Separate security reporting indicated that both vessels were directly hit by projectiles — the Energos Winter on its starboard side and the GasLog Salem near its forward cargo tanks.

Local emergency services assisted in extinguishing both fires. All crew members were reported safe, with no fatalities or injuries. Following the incident, the vessels were moved away from their berths and remained offshore from Damietta.

Inchcape Shipping Services reported that an explosion occurred during cargo-discharge operations, forcing a partial closure of the terminal. Activity at unaffected berths resumed overnight.

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum confirmed fires aboard a regasification vessel and a gas storage ship but did not endorse the drone-strike assessment. The ministry stated that emergency procedures were activated immediately and the situation was brought under control. Social media videos appear to show the drone inbound.

The 138,250 cu m Energos Winter is operated by US-based Energos Infrastructure and forms part of Egypt's expanded floating LNG import system. The vessel can deliver up to 650 million standard cubic feet of regasified gas per day and is one of four FSRUs deployed to support the country's gas network. Egypt has scaled up its FSRU fleet in recent years as declining domestic gas production forced the country — historically a regional gas exporter — to rely on LNG imports to meet domestic power generation needs, particularly during peak summer demand.

The 155,000 cu m GasLog Salem is a 2015-built LNG carrier operated by GasLog.

The incident marks a significant geographic escalation. Recent strikes on merchant shipping and energy infrastructure have been concentrated around the Strait of Hormuz and the southern Red Sea, where Houthi forces have targeted vessels linked to or perceived as connected to Israel, the United States, and their allies. Damietta lies on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, far beyond those established war-risk zones. A strike there, if confirmed as deliberate, would broaden the threat surface for energy shipping to a corridor that has not previously been drawn into the conflict and that serves as a critical node for European and North African gas trade.

🇺🇸🇪🇬 An unidentified drone struck a U.S.-owned floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) and a storage vessel at Egypt's Damietta Port. Follow: @europa pic.twitter.com/WcYfOuo8nU — Europa.com (@europa) July 29, 2026