Overview
- Libya’s state oil company announced the Arctic Metagaz will be brought safely into a Libyan port in coordination with Italian energy firm Eni.
- Italian civil protection reports no signs of imminent sinking but stresses the ship is heavily damaged and not very stable, complicating any tow.
- Authorities say pollution-prevention steps are in place as WWF warns a potential leak could cause permanent contamination in a biodiverse Mediterranean zone.
- Official accounts of the cargo conflict, with Russian reports citing about 700 tonnes of fuel plus gas, while Libyan officials say roughly 62,000 tonnes of LNG bound for Egypt.
- The tanker burned after March 3 explosions that Russia attributes to a Ukrainian drone attack, a claim Ukraine has not addressed, and the vessel is listed under EU and U.S. sanctions as part of Russia’s shadow fleet.