After the crew was evacuated from the attacked UAV gas carrier "Arctic Metagas," the vessel is drifting in the Mediterranean Sea. Italy, France, and seven other countries have sent a warning to the European Commission about a potential environmental catastrophe.
Italy, France, and seven other countries sent a letter to the European Commission warning that the drifting gas carrier "Arctic Metagas," which is adrift in the Mediterranean Sea without a crew, may pose a serious threat to the environment and maritime safety, calling for urgent action. This was reported by Reuters on the evening of Monday, March 16, as noted by DW.
"The deplorable condition of the vessel combined with the nature of its specific cargo creates an immediate and serious threat of a major environmental disaster in the very heart of the European Union's maritime waters," the agency quoted the aforementioned document.
On the same day, Russia also called for measures to prevent an environmental catastrophe due to the drifting gas carrier "Arctic Metagas" in the Mediterranean Sea.
"The applicable international legal norms for the current situation imply the responsibility of coastal states (so-called affected states) for resolving the situation with the drifting vessel and preventing an environmental disaster. Further involvement in the process by the shipowner and Russia as the flag state will depend on the specific circumstances," stated the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in a statement published on the ministry's website.
Attack on the Gas Carrier "Arctic Metagas"
According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, on March 3, the vessel "Arctic Metagas," which was traveling from Murmansk "with cargo documented in accordance with all international rules," was attacked in close proximity to the territorial waters of Malta.
In a statement posted on the ministry's Telegram channel, it was claimed that the attack was carried out from the coast of Libya by Ukrainian unmanned boats.
"Thanks to the coordinated actions of Maltese and Russian rescue services, all 30 crew members, citizens of Russia, were rescued," it further stated.
Damage to the Gas Carrier "Arctic Metagas"
According to a press release from the Russian Foreign Ministry dated March 16, by the time the crew left the vessel, "there was fuel remaining in the bunker tanks (450 tons of heavy fuel and 250 tons of diesel fuel), as well as a significant amount of natural gas." The vessel is currently drifting freely in the Mediterranean Sea, having sustained serious damage, with local fire outbreaks observed.
According to the Russian side, the shipowner is tracking the location of the tanker, and authorized Russian authorities are in contact with the shipowner and foreign competent authorities.
Meanwhile, Maltese authorities have been warning for several days that the drifting gas carrier may pose a danger to other vessels. As reported by the Italian news agency ANSA, Italian Navy vessels, including a tug and a specialized ship equipped for pollution removal, are nearby to mitigate environmental damage. The Italian government is closely monitoring the situation surrounding the damaged gas carrier.
About the Gas Carrier "Arctic Metagas"
The vessel "Arctic Metagas" is one of about ten gas carriers used to transport sanctioned LNG from the Russian terminal "Arctic LNG-2" to the port of Beihai on the southern coast of China. Since 2024, the ship has been under sanctions from the U.S. and the U.K., imposed due to Russia's war against Ukraine. In the EU, it is considered part of the so-called "shadow fleet" of Russia.
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