CAIRO (AP) — Libyan authorities have been towing a Russian oil tanker drifting in the Mediterranean for the past three weeks after it was suspected of being damaged in a drone strike at sea, officials said Tuesday.
The Arctic Metazaz is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which transports fossil fuels in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The Libyan coast guard said the tanker carrying liquefied natural gas was being towed to a safe zone near the town of Zuwara on Libya’s west coast.
A video released by Libyan authorities on Tuesday showed a tugboat towing the slow-moving tanker with a thick rope. The tanker could be seen listing on its side, its hull blackened by the fire.
Libya’s national oil company said over the weekend it was working with Italian energy company Eni to safely bring the damaged tanker to shore to avoid an environmental crisis.
The Libyan company said it had taken “all procedures… to reduce environmental risks and prevent any potential leaks or negative impacts.”
Russian authorities said the Arctic Metazaz was hit by a Ukrainian navy drone near Maltese waters and severely damaged. All 30 crew members were rescued. Ukraine has yet to comment.
The tanker was hit by a drone earlier this month. The Libyan Maritime Authority said at the time that the tanker experienced a “sudden explosion followed by a fire” about 240 kilometers (150 miles) from the Libyan city of Sirte. Libyan government agencies also incorrectly reported that the tanker had sunk.
However, the Arctic Metagaz remains afloat and is pushed toward the Libyan coast by winds and currents, according to global conservation group WWF.
The group said on Monday the tanker remained “highly unstable” and warned of “significant environmental risks in one of the Mediterranean’s most vulnerable and biodiverse waters”.