can cause an ecological catastrophe

The cargo ship is damaged, presumably due to a ukrainian drone attack which forced the crew to abandon ship. kyiv, however, has denied any responsibility for the incident.

The agency, which monitors the trajectory of the ship, rules out that there have been any gas leaks to date. However, it warns of the risk in the event that the tanks crack.

“Gas dispersion is a very real possibility,” a spokesperson told the agency. Reuters. Although it is unknown how much LNG was carried on board at the time of the incident, at least two tanks would still be intact.

On the other hand, it cannot be ruled out that part of the charge has dissolved in the water. Italy, France, Spain and six other European countries have warned the European Union of ecological risk which the freighter represents, and have demanded a response.

However, since it is in the area of ​​Libya, the responsibility for the rescue would fall on the North African country, according to the Italian Civil Protection. To complicate the circumstances, the sea ​​state in the area would be adverse.

The European Union pointed out in its response that the Arctic Metagaz would be part of the Russian ‘ghost fleet’. These are old freighters registered under the flag of other countries with which Russia avoids the sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine.

Since March last year, European Union ports must suspend the ‘transshipment‘, the transshipment of LNG produced or exported from Russia. The ban also includes technical support, intermediation services, financing and other forms of financial assistance.

However, by obfuscating their origin, these vessels can continue to carry out exchange operations with hydrocarbons even if they are subject to restrictions. They have been used, for example, in operations in Venezuela before the US intervention.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has acknowledged that the ship is adrift in the Mediterranean. However, they stated that Moscow’s responsibility to resolve the situation would depend on “concrete circumstances.”

According to the Russian Ministry of Transport, the Arctic Metagaz was transporting gas from the port of Murmansk in the Arcticwhen it was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones. These would have been launched, according to the Russian version, from the Libyan coast.

Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly expanded its campaign in recent weeks, attacking oil platforms in the Caspian Sea and claiming responsibility for attacks with maritime drones against three oil tankers in the Black Sea.

Their first attack on a Russian ‘ghost tanker’ occurred last December. The Qendil was empty when it was hit by drones in neutral waters off Libya, as happened to the Arctic Metagaz.

This opaque tanker was heading to the Russian port of Ust Luga on the Baltic Sea after returning from India. In that attack he suffered “critical damage“, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).