ROME — Five Mediterranean nations have issued an urgent appeal to the European Commission regarding a damaged Russian tanker adrift in international waters, warning of potential catastrophic environmental consequences. The vessel, identified as the Arctic Metagaz, represents Russia’s sanctioned energy transport network often referred to as its ‘shadow fleet.’
The crisis emerged earlier this month when the liquefied natural gas carrier sustained significant damage from a suspected maritime drone strike near Maltese territorial waters. Although all crew members were successfully evacuated, the unmanned vessel now drifts uncontrolled while carrying highly volatile fuel cargo.
In a coordinated diplomatic move, the leaders of Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece, and Cyprus dispatched a joint communiqué to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The correspondence emphasized the ‘imminent and serious risk’ of a major ecological disaster and formally requested activation of the EU’s civil protection mechanism to address the emergency.
Spanish government officials authenticated the letter’s contents, while three additional EU representatives speaking under condition of anonymity corroborated its urgent nature. The document underscores the vessel’s compromised structural integrity and hazardous payload as primary concerns necessitating immediate multinational intervention.
According to maritime tracking reports, the crippled tanker initially drifted between Malta and Sicily’s Lampedusa island before shifting course toward Libyan waters. Maltese authorities have established a critical 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) exclusion zone around the vessel due to explosion risks, as confirmed by Italian Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano during a national radio broadcast.
The five signatory nations intend to elevate discussion of broader maritime security threats during this week’s European Council summit, emphasizing the dangers posed by non-compliant vessels operating outside international regulatory frameworks across Mediterranean shipping lanes.