Russian gas tanker, damaged in the Mediterranean Sea, threatens ecological disaster
The sanctioned Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz is now drifting in the Mediterranean Sea without a crew. The tanker carries a large amount of liquefied natural gas, as well as 450 tons of fuel oil and 250 tons of diesel fuel, writes the BBC Russian Service.
The vessel is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" — ships used to circumvent sanctions and move with transponders switched off to hide their routes.
The tanker was heavily damaged, possibly by a naval drone, in early March near Malta. The 30-member crew abandoned the tanker in lifeboats and were picked up by the Libyan coast guard; no one was harmed. Satellite images show the tanker smoldering, listing to one side, with a large breach on its port side, and a thin film on the water's surface around the vessel, indicating possible contamination.
Initially, it was reported that the tanker sank in waters between Libya and Malta after a fire, but it later emerged that it remained afloat and initially drifted between Malta and Italy. In recent days, it has been pulled towards the coast of Libya. The tanker is currently approximately 83 km from Italian territorial waters and 46 km from Libya's search and rescue zone.
European authorities are closely monitoring the vessel's movement. Nine Mediterranean EU countries have sent a joint letter to the European Commission urging action due to the high risk of a major ecological disaster. Libyan, Italian, and Maltese authorities have also warned of great danger, as the tanker is drifting uncontrolled, and its cargo could easily ignite.
The Secretary of the Italian Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovano, warned that the tanker could "explode at any moment." The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) declared "maximum alert," warning that potential leaks of toxic cargo could lead to fires and long-term marine pollution, including areas with rare and protected species.