Damaged Russian LNG Tanker to be Towed to Libya

A damaged Russian liquefied natural gas tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, will be towed to a Libyan port after drifting unmanned in the Mediterranean Sea for nearly three weeks, Libyan authorities announced Saturday. The vessel, part of Russia's fleet transporting fossil fuels amid international sanctions, suffered explosions on March 3 east of Malta, leaving it with severe hull breaches and fire damage as it carried LNG from Russia to Egypt along with hundreds of tons of fuel.

Russia's Transport Ministry attributed the incident to an attack by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the Libyan coast, describing it as an act of maritime piracy. Ukraine has not commented on the claim. All 30 crew members were rescued shortly after the explosions, with no injuries reported. The tanker, measuring 277 meters in length, lost power and began drifting through international waters, passing through search and rescue zones managed by Malta, Italy, and Libya.

By Friday, the vessel had entered Libya's search and rescue zone, approximately 35 to 53 nautical miles north of Tripoli, propelled by southbound winds and currents. Italian officials, who have been tracking its position, estimated it could...