Nine EU countries have warned that a sanctioned Russian tanker adrift in the Mediterranean poses a serious ecological threat, with a gaping hole leaking fuel and natural gas. In a joint letter to the European Commission, the nations described the vessel, the Arctic Metagaz, as an imminent danger to the Union's maritime space.
Alfredo Mantovano, secretary of Italy's Council of Ministers, told Radio 24 that the tanker could explode at any moment, calling it an “environmental bomb”. The EU says the ship is part of Russia's “shadow fleet” designed to bypass sanctions linked to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The vessel set sail from Murmansk in February but caught fire in early March. Russia condemned the incident as “international terrorism and maritime piracy”, claiming Ukrainian drones launched from Libya attacked the ship near Maltese waters. Moscow reported all 30 crew members were safe.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the tanker now has no crew and is carrying 700 metric tonnes of fuel and a substantial amount of natural gas. She stressed that coastal states bear responsibility for preventing an environmental disaster, with further involvement from Russia depending on circumstances.
The letter from the nine EU countries highlights the “dual challenge” of upholding maritime safety while preventing an ecological disaster, against the backdrop of EU sanctions on Russia. The situation remains critical as the tanker drifts in the Mediterranean.
