Attacked Russian tanker drifting toward Libya: Italian authorities
By AFP
March 20, 2026
A series of explosions rocked the Arctic Metagaz on March 3 - Copyright Newsbook Malta/AFP Miguela XUEREB
A Russian tanker that was badly damaged in an attack in the Mediterranean last week is drifting without crew towards the Libyan coast, Italy’s civil protection service said on Friday.
Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to blow up the Arctic Metagaz, which was carrying a consignment of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Russia to Egypt when it was hit on March 3.
Italian officials said there was no sign that the fuel used to power the tanker had leaked, but they were unable to comment on the fate of the gas consignment.
The ship, whose 30 crew abandoned it, faced US and European Union sanctions as a suspected part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels carrying Russian oil and gas in contravention of international sanctions.
Ukraine has not commented on the case but Italian authorities are among Mediterranean nations nervously watching the ship’s movements. Salvage experts have been waiting in Malta.
Russia has said vessel was carrying about 700 tonnes of fuel as well its gas consignment when it was hit. Libya’s port authority has said the ship was carrying 62,000 tonnes of LNG intended for Egypt.
“At this stage, we have no information that the fuel has started to disperse,” the civil protection service’s press chief, Pierfrancesco Demilito, told a news conference.
He said the tanker was currently in international waters but in Libya’s search and rescue zone about 53 nautical miles north of Tripoli and heading south.
According to the official, it was not possible to say how much gas was on the tanker but he said it was “potentially dangerous” because of the risk of an explosion.
The ship, though still afloat, “is severely damaged and even towing it is a complex operation”, Demilito said.
“It has a large lateral breach and is not a very stable vessel at the moment, even if it is not showing any imminent signs of sinking.”
Images taken by AFP on Sunday showed the tanker much further north from the location given by the Demilito. Some parts had been blackened and seriously damaged by explosions and fire. There were two holes on each side.
By AFP
March 20, 2026
A series of explosions rocked the Arctic Metagaz on March 3 - Copyright Newsbook Malta/AFP Miguela XUEREB
A Russian tanker that was badly damaged in an attack in the Mediterranean last week is drifting without crew towards the Libyan coast, Italy’s civil protection service said on Friday.
Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to blow up the Arctic Metagaz, which was carrying a consignment of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Russia to Egypt when it was hit on March 3.
Italian officials said there was no sign that the fuel used to power the tanker had leaked, but they were unable to comment on the fate of the gas consignment.
The ship, whose 30 crew abandoned it, faced US and European Union sanctions as a suspected part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels carrying Russian oil and gas in contravention of international sanctions.
Ukraine has not commented on the case but Italian authorities are among Mediterranean nations nervously watching the ship’s movements. Salvage experts have been waiting in Malta.
Russia has said vessel was carrying about 700 tonnes of fuel as well its gas consignment when it was hit. Libya’s port authority has said the ship was carrying 62,000 tonnes of LNG intended for Egypt.
“At this stage, we have no information that the fuel has started to disperse,” the civil protection service’s press chief, Pierfrancesco Demilito, told a news conference.
He said the tanker was currently in international waters but in Libya’s search and rescue zone about 53 nautical miles north of Tripoli and heading south.
According to the official, it was not possible to say how much gas was on the tanker but he said it was “potentially dangerous” because of the risk of an explosion.
The ship, though still afloat, “is severely damaged and even towing it is a complex operation”, Demilito said.
“It has a large lateral breach and is not a very stable vessel at the moment, even if it is not showing any imminent signs of sinking.”
Images taken by AFP on Sunday showed the tanker much further north from the location given by the Demilito. Some parts had been blackened and seriously damaged by explosions and fire. There were two holes on each side.
By AFP
March 15, 2026
This aerial photo taken on March 15, 2026 shows the wreck of Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier Arctic Metagaz, which is adrift near Malta - Copyright AFP Atta KENARE
A liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier Russia claims was attacked by Ukraine in the Mediterranean is blackened by fire with two large holes in the hull, AFP footage showed Sunday.
The 277-metre-long Arctic Metagaz has been drifting without a crew since a series of explosions scuppered the vessel off Libya on March 3.
On Sunday lunchtime, it was 50 nautical miles southwest of Malta.
AFP footage taken from a plane showed it listing onto one side, parts of it blackened and seriously damaged by fire, with two holes either side in the middle of the hull.
Russia accused Ukraine of a drone attack on the ship, which had been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union for being one of Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”.
The fleet is made up of ageing tankers that carry Russia’s oil and gas around the world, skirting Western restrictions.
Russia said that all 30 crew members had been rescued. Ukraine, which Moscow invaded in February 2022, has not commented.
Authorities in Malta and Italy have been monitoring the passage of the wreck, amid pollution fears.
Rome has said the ship was carrying “significant quantities of gas, heavy oil, and diesel fuel”.
Libya’s port authority said the ship had been carrying roughly 62,000 metric tonnes of LNG intended for Egypt.
Environmental group WWF this week said it was also carrying 900 tonnes of diesel fuel, and warned this could cause huge damage if it spilled into the sea.
“A potential spill could cause fires, cryogenic clouds lethal to marine life, and widespread and long-lasting pollution of water and the atmosphere,” WWF Italy warned in a statement.
“The affected area is of exceptional ecological value, with fragile deep-sea ecosystems and some of the highest biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin.”
The Libyan port authority said the ship was hit by “sudden explosions followed by a massive fire, which ultimately led to its complete sinking” north of the port of Sirte.
However, Malta’s transport authority last week said the wreck was still afloat, drifting without a crew between Malta and the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with her defence, foreign, energy, maritime and civil protection ministers on Friday to discuss the situation.
Afterwards, her office confirmed it was in contact with Malta and willing to help where necessary.
Salvage experts are already in Malta in preparation for the ship’s arrival in Maltese waters, while a specialist vessel is on its way, a maritime source told AFP on Sunday.
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