A crippled Russian tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas and heavy fuel is drifting without a crew in the central Mediterranean, raising urgent alarm over the risk of a major ecological incident.
Italian authorities, who joined eight other EU governments in urging the European Commission to act, say the vessel presents a severe and immediate danger after sustaining serious damage near Maltese waters earlier this month.
The ship, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, was reported to have a large breach in its hull following explosions and a fire.
Libyan rescuers recovered the crew, but the unmanned vessel continues to move southward away from Italy and the island of Lampedusa toward Libya.
Officials told the BBC the tanker still carries significant quantities of LNG as well as around 450 tonnes of fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel, materials that could ignite or cause long-lasting pollution if released.
As of Tuesday afternoon the ship was about 45 nautical miles from Italian territorial waters and roughly 25 miles from Libya’s search-and-rescue zone, and both Italian and Maltese authorities are tracking its course closely.
Moscow has blamed Ukraine for the attack, which it called a terrorist act, while Kyiv has not publicly taken responsibility.
Ukraine has previously treated some sanctioned Russian tankers—often sailing with tracking turned off to evade sanctions—as legitimate targets.
Environmental groups have urged extreme caution, warning that any spill or fire could devastate areas of high biodiversity and affect protected species.
The incident comes amid a rise in strikes on vessels linked to sanctioned Russian energy shipments, heightening regional anxieties and calls for international intervention.
