A sanctioned Russian tanker loaded with liquid natural gas is drifting out of control in the Mediterranean with no crew on board and a gaping hole in one side, prompting warnings of a serious risk of a major ecological disaster. An official in Italy, one of nine EU countries to write a joint letter to the European Commission urging action, has called the Arctic Metagaz an environmental bomb waiting to go off.
The tanker, part of a shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Russian oil and gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters earlier this month. Ukraine has not commented on reports that it was responsible for crippling it.
The Arctic Metagaz is now floating south away from Italian waters and the island of Lampedusa towards Libya, with Italian and Maltese officials continuing to monitor its movement. Speaking on Italy's Radio 24, the secretary of Italy's Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovano, said the risks from the tanker were enormous and warned that it could explode at any moment.
It is said to be carrying significant quantities of liquid natural gas, or LNG. An official in Rome told the BBC it also had 450 tonnes of fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel on board. On Tuesday afternoon the tanker was about 45 nautical miles (83km) from Italian territorial waters and 25 miles from the search-and-rescue zone ascribed to Libya.
Initially thought to be sunk after a fire, the Arctic Metagaz has been without crew since early March, with officials stating that the crew was rescued by the Libyan coastguard.
The World Wildlife Fund has also alerted authorities, warning of the potential for a spill which could cause long-lasting pollution in an ecologically sensitive area. Given the ongoing conflict and recent attacks on maritime vessels, the situation remains critical as the tanker continues to drift in the Mediterranean.
The tanker, part of a shadow fleet transporting sanctioned Russian oil and gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters earlier this month. Ukraine has not commented on reports that it was responsible for crippling it.
The Arctic Metagaz is now floating south away from Italian waters and the island of Lampedusa towards Libya, with Italian and Maltese officials continuing to monitor its movement. Speaking on Italy's Radio 24, the secretary of Italy's Council of Ministers, Alfredo Mantovano, said the risks from the tanker were enormous and warned that it could explode at any moment.
It is said to be carrying significant quantities of liquid natural gas, or LNG. An official in Rome told the BBC it also had 450 tonnes of fuel oil and 250 tonnes of diesel on board. On Tuesday afternoon the tanker was about 45 nautical miles (83km) from Italian territorial waters and 25 miles from the search-and-rescue zone ascribed to Libya.
Initially thought to be sunk after a fire, the Arctic Metagaz has been without crew since early March, with officials stating that the crew was rescued by the Libyan coastguard.
The World Wildlife Fund has also alerted authorities, warning of the potential for a spill which could cause long-lasting pollution in an ecologically sensitive area. Given the ongoing conflict and recent attacks on maritime vessels, the situation remains critical as the tanker continues to drift in the Mediterranean.
