Damaged Russian tanker carrying natural gas floats into Libyan waters

2026-03-18 - 19:09

‘Serious risk of major ecological disaster’ as vessel drifts for weeks after being struck by suspected drone attack A severely damaged Russian tanker carrying liquified natural gas that has been adrift in the Mediterranean for two weeks, raising concerns of a “major ecological disaster”, has floated into Libyan waters, Italy’s civil protection agency said on Wednesday. The Arctic Metagaz was part of a Russian “shadow fleet” used to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country’s oil and gas after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It was struck in a suspected drone attack close to Maltese waters earlier this month, causing a huge hole. The crew is believed to have been rescued between Malta and Libya. Continue reading...