Libya tows damaged Russian LNG tanker to avert environmental risk
Tripoli— Libya’s coast guard has begun towing a damaged Russian liquefied natural gas tanker away from its western shores after it drifted unmanned for weeks, authorities said, amid warnings from European states of a potential ecological threat in the Mediterranean.
The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from Murmansk, had been adrift since early March following what Moscow said was a strike by Ukrainian naval drones. The vessel, with no crew onboard, eventually approached the Libyan port of Zuwara.
The Tripoli-based government said the coast guard successfully moved the vessel away from the coastline, with operations overseen by maritime and security authorities. Video footage released by official channels showed a naval vessel towing the tanker with heavy cables.
National Oil Corporation has been tasked with unloading the cargo and coordinating with foreign partners, including Russian and Maltese authorities, to ensure maritime safety across the Mediterranean.
Officials said there had been no leakage from the tanker so far, and initial assessments indicated no immediate environmental danger.
European concerns over spill riskItaly, France, Spain and other southern European Union members had earlier warned the European Commission that the drifting tanker posed an “imminent and serious risk” of a major ecological disaster if left unmanaged.
Libyan authorities said the situation was under control, with coast guard officials assuring residents in coastal areas, including Zuwara and Sabratha, that efforts were ongoing to secure the vessel.
Russia’s Transport Ministry said the drones that struck the tanker were launched from Libyan territory, though neither Ukraine nor Libya has commented on the claim.
Authorities have not disclosed the tanker’s final destination as operations continue to stabilize the vessel and mitigate any potential risks to shipping and the marine environment.
