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Arctic Metagaz, a Russian LNG tanker damaged earlier this month and now drifting without a crew, floats in international waters between Malta and the Italian islands of Lampedusa and Linosa in this handout image released March 13, 2026. Photo: Marina Militare / Handout via Reuters
The Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz (IMO: 9243148), which was hit by a Ukrainian drone on March 3, is drifting in the Mediterranean between Italy and Malta without a crew. Italian authorities are weighing various options for dealing with the ship, with the preferred solution being for Russia-based LLC SMP Techmanagement, which operates the vessel, to hire a specialized company to tow it to a safe location, Reuters reported earlier today.
“The situation is under control. The ship is in international waters and the navy, a tugboat and an environmental response vessel are escorting it,” said Filippo Mannino, mayor of Lampedusa
Two sources told Reuters that it is still unclear how much liquefied gas remains on board. For that reason, Italy does not want the damaged gas carrier to dock at one of its ports, one source said, calling the vessel “a ticking time bomb full of gas.” Photographs show cthat the ship sustained a large hole above the waterline. Malta’s transport authority warned other ships to stay at least five nautical miles away from the gas carrier.
The attack on the Arctic Metagaz took place on March 3, with multiple outlets and open source intelligence (OSINT) analysts reporting that the ship caught fire. Russia’s Transport Ministry later said the ship was attacked by Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels launched from the coast of Libya. On Feb. 18, Arctic Metagaz had loaded LNG at Russia’s sanctioned Saam floating storage unit, then sailed around the UK and Spain before entering the Mediterranean. The ministry said the tanker had departed the port of Murmansk with cargo “processed in full compliance with all international rules.” All 30 crew members were evacuated.