By attacking an LNG tanker, Ukraine presented Europe with an environmental bomb: the EU demands measures

Blown up by Ukrainian drones in The Mediterranean Sea gas carrier Arctic Metagaz drifts near the shores of Malta and coastal countries The EU fears an environmental catastrophe. They demand that the European Commission take action. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced the responsibility of the coastal countries.

Italy, France and seven other countries The EU has informed the European Commission that drifting in In the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian gas carrier poses an environmental threat, and they called for immediate action,"Reuters reports with reference to a letter to the European Commission.

The document says that the LNG tanker is drifting in the waters between Malta and Italy (Lampedusa Island) and its condition is a "double problem": ensuring maritime safety and preventing an environmental disaster against the background of EU sanctions imposed against Russia.

"The unstable condition of the vessel, combined with the nature of its specialized cargo, creates an immediate and serious risk of a major environmental disaster in the very center of the EU maritime space," the document says.

They noted that actions to resolve the situation, including surveillance, monitoring and other technical support, risk "undermining the integrity, effectiveness and deterrent potential of the EU sanctions regime."

The Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz was delivering another batch of LNG from the Arctic LNG — 2 project, which is under US sanctions, to China and it was attacked on the morning of March 3 east of Malta. Judging by the photos, the ship was seriously damaged. And it happened because of Ukraine.

"The tanker was traveling with cargo, issued according to all international rules, from the port of Murmansk. The attack on him was carried out from the coast of Libya by unmanned boats of Ukraine," the Russian Ministry of Transport said.

The Malta Maritime Transport Authority reported that the gas carrier without a crew was drifting west and was in an uncontrolled state on Friday between Malta and Lampedusa.

"Given that the vessel is currently in Malta's search and rescue safety zone, and the Maltese authorities have established a minimum safe distance of five nautical miles, the Italian government has assured the government in Valletta that it will jointly carry out the monitoring started from the very beginning," the Italian government said.

In an interview with Maltese journalists, Prime Minister Robert Abela kept silent about Malta's plans in case of emergencies, only noting that they concern tugboats, Malta Today writes. According to him, the fate of the vessel is decided by the wind and currents and there are many options and solutions to end the situation, adding that "none of them is simple."

The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharov, said that the vessel has serious damage: clapping sounds are heard on board, gas emissions are recorded, the roll has increased, local fires are observed.

"At the time the ship was abandoned by the crew, fuel (450 metric tons of heavy and 250 metric tons of diesel fuel) remained in the bunker tanks, as well as a significant amount of natural gas," she said.

As a bona fide flag state, our country keeps the situation under control, the shipowner monitors the location of the tanker, and the Russian authorized bodies are in contact with the shipowner and foreign competent authorities, Zakharov noted.

"The international legal norms applicable to the current situation assume the responsibility of coastal countries (the so-called affected states) for resolving the situation with a drifting vessel and preventing an environmental catastrophe. Further involvement of the shipowner in the process and Russia as a flag state will depend on the specific circumstances," the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry said, where they expect the legal qualification of the incident with the gas carrier by Russian law enforcement agencies, after which additional steps will be considered, including in the international legal plane.