• Damaged Russian LNG tanker drifting crewless toward Libyan coast

• Vessel hit by Ukrainian drone, carrying fuel and residual LNG

• Libya leads salvage amid explosion risk and sanctions-linked concerns

A damaged Russian liquefied natural gas tanker has been drifting without a crew in the Mediterranean Sea since early March, and Libyan authorities have begun efforts to secure it, The Maritime Executive reported on Saturday.

The vessel, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, was struck in a Ukrainian drone attack on March 3, 2026, triggering an onboard fire. The crew was evacuated following the incident, leaving the ship without propulsion or navigation. The tanker has since been drifting with the winds and currents and is now less than five days from the Libyan coast.

According to data cited by Ukrinform, Ukraine’s national news agency, the tanker passed through several maritime zones, including waters off Malta and Italy, before approaching Libyan territorial waters.

The vessel is still carrying significant quantities of fuel, estimated at roughly 450 metric tons of heavy fuel oil and 250 metric tons of diesel, as well as residual LNG in its tanks, according to those sources.

Citing the risk of an explosion aboard the vessel, Libyan authorities have decided to lead the securing operation. They have hired experts from a salvage company, whose identity has not been disclosed, to assess the ship’s condition ahead of a planned tow to a safe port, which has also not been identified.

Libya’s handling of the Arctic Metagaz falls under international maritime law. According to Reuters, responsibility for a drifting vessel shifts to the coastal state once it enters that state’s maritime zone. Italian energy company Eni, which operates in Libya’s energy sector, is taking part in technical discussions on the response, according to available information.

The Guardian reported on March 18 that the vessel is believed to be linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” used to transport hydrocarbons in circumvention of Western sanctions.

Abdel-Latif Boureima