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Libya Tows Damaged Russian LNG Tanker From Zuwara Coast

Officials say the operation seeks to prevent a spill near western Libya.

A Russian LNG tanker, Arctic Metagaz, damaged earlier this month and currently adrift without crew, floats in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, in this handout picture released on March 13, 2026. Marina Militare/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE - Sea Baby drones ride on the water during a demonstration by Ukraine's Security Service in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

Overview

  • Libya’s coast guard began pulling the abandoned Arctic Metagaz away from the shoreline near Zuwara after weeks adrift, the Tripoli-based government said.
  • The tanker is part of a Russian “shadow fleet” that moves fuel outside sanctions, a setup that can complicate port access and emergency aid.
  • Italy, France, Spain and other southern EU members warned the European Commission that the drifting LNG cargo posed an imminent risk of a major ecological disaster.
  • Libya’s National Oil Corporation said it is working with Italy’s Eni to manage the tow and reduce the chance of any leak.
  • Russia blames Ukrainian sea drones for crippling the ship near Malta and has claimed the drones launched from Libya, a charge that has not been verified.