Libya tows drifting Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker to avert spill

Key Points:

• Libyan authorities are towing the Russian tanker Arctic Metagaz, which has been drifting in the Mediterranean for three weeks after being damaged in a suspected Ukrainian sea drone attack near Malta's waters.
• The tanker, part of Russia's shadow fleet violating sanctions over the Ukraine war, carries liquefied natural gas and is being moved to a safe zone off Zuwara on Libya’s western coast to prevent environmental damage.
• Libya’s National Oil Corp. is working with Italian energy company Eni to safely bring the damaged tanker ashore and has implemented measures to reduce environmental risks and prevent potential leaks.
• The Arctic Metagaz suffered explosions and a massive fire but did not sink, despite initial reports; all 30 crew members were rescued, and the tanker drifted toward Libya’s coast, raising concerns about environmental hazards in a biodiverse Mediterranean area.
• The World Wide Fund for Nature has warned that the tanker remains highly unstable, posing significant environmental risks to one of the Mediterranean’s most fragile marine ecosystems.