‘Out of control’ Russian tanker adrift again after Libya towing operation fails

Libyan port authorities have warned that its towing operation of the damaged Russian shadow fleet tanker Arctic Metagaz has failed, leaving the tanker “adrift and completely out of control at sea”.

In an urgent statement issued on Thursday, Libya’s Ports and Maritime Transport Authority warned mariners that its towing operation had “failed” early on Thursday morning due to “severe weather conditions”.

Sources who spoke to Times of Malta say strong winds may have caused the tanker to cut free from the tugboat which was dragging it across the Mediterranean Sea.

“Consequently, the tanker is out of control and the tugboat is unable to re-tether the vessel under this dangerous weather,” the statement said.

Mariners are warned to stay at least ten nautical miles away from the tanker’s last known location, just north east of the city of Misrata.

The tanker is believed to be drifting eastwards and remains outside Malta’s search and rescue area.

However, it is unclear whether prevailing winds could once again carry the tanker in Malta’s direction over the coming days.

The tanker's current location, marked in yellow, just north-east of Misrata. Image: Google Earth

Last week, Libyan authorities had taken control of the vessel and began towing it away from the its coast.

Sources told Times of Malta that this was likely driven by fears that it could collide with one of the several oil rigs dotted around the Libyan coast, particularly the Al-Jurf oil field off Tripoli.

The tanker is believed to be carrying as much as 60,000 tonnes of liquid gas and several hundred tonnes of bunker oil.

At the time, Libya had said there were “no indicators of any imminent risk,” describing the situation as “completely safe”.

The tanker had been drifting aimlessly for weeks in international waters, after it was damaged in an apparent drone attack in early March.

Russia has pinned the blame for the attack on Ukraine. Ukraine has yet to comment publicly on the issue.

Both Maltese and Italian authorities had previously said they were devising contingency plans should the tanker approach their shores. The two countries also said they had engaged in discussions with international partners to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, the tanker’s lifeboat, used by its 30 crew members to flee the burning ship, drifted into Maltese waters and is being held by Transport Malta.

The matter initially appeared to have been resolved by Libya’s intervention, but Thursday’s statement suggests the impasse may drag on, with questions over who will salvage the vessel remaining unresolved.

According to marine news site gCaptain, recent photos show the vessel tilting heavily, suggesting that the risk of the tanker sinking may be increasing, particularly with the turbulent weather conditions throughout this week.