Mar 17, 2026, 11:14 amMar 17, 2026, 11:14 am
After the damage to a Russian gas tanker, the “Arctic Metagaz”, which is now drifting without a driver in the Mediterranean, Moscow is calling on the neighboring states to prevent an environmental catastrophe.
“The international legal norms applicable to the current situation stipulate that coastal countries (the so-called affected states) are responsible for resolving the situation with the drifting ship and preventing an eco-disaster,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, according to the agency’s website. How Moscow will behave further depends on the given circumstances.
Russia: Explosion after Ukrainian attack
The gas tanker “Arctic Metegaz” caught fire after explosions off the coast of Libya two weeks ago. Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking the ship with water drones. Kyiv has not officially commented on the incident. The 30-man crew was rescued. The Libyan coast guard initially said the ship had sunk. But then photos emerged showing the “Arctic Metagaz” with a significant list. The ship is therefore drifting towards Malta.
Video: watson/nina bürge
The list has increased, explosions can also be heard and isolated fires can be seen. Moscow said that significant amounts of fuel remained in the ship. There were suspicions early on that the “Arctic Metagaz” could belong to Russia’s shadow fleet and that there were hundreds of tons of oil on board.
Several states are calling for immediate action
Zakharova emphasized that Russia is honestly assuming its responsibility as a flag nation and is keeping the situation under control by maintaining contact with the ship owner and the responsible authorities of the neighboring states. Moscow reserves the right to take further legal action as soon as the legal assessment of the incident by its own security authorities has been completed.
Other countries are also warning of an environmental catastrophe. Nine of them, including Italy and France, demanded immediate action from the EU Commission in a letter on Monday Reuters reported. Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela is seeking a permanent solution, such as Maltese media reported on Monday. We are therefore in contact with the EU and affected states.
Danger to other ships
The Maltese shipping authorities have been warning for days that the gas tanker could pose a danger to other ships. According to the Italian news agency Ansa, Italian Navy units – a tugboat and, if necessary, a special anti-pollution ship – are near the tanker.
One of the considerations is to tow the “Arctic Metagaz” further out to sea. In Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called an emergency meeting. (sda/dpa/vro)