The Italian government has expressed serious concern about the situation with the Russian gas carrier Arctic Metagaz, which is drifting off the coast of Malta. The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reported that the issue was discussed at an emergency meeting with key ministers.
The vessel was damaged on March 3 due to an attack by unmanned vehicles, after which it lost its propulsion and power, and a gas explosion occurred on board. Currently, there is no crew on the tanker - all 30 crew members, Russian citizens, were evacuated by the joint efforts of the Maltese and Russian rescue services
There are about 60 thousand tons of liquefied natural gas and, according to various sources, from 700 to 900 tons of diesel fuel remaining on board the gas carrier. Experts note the potential environmental threat: if the hull loses stability or the tanks are depressurized, fuel leakage is possible. The Maltese authorities have established a security zone with a radius of five nautical miles around the vessel. Italian agencies have joined in monitoring the situation, coordinating actions with the coastal services of Valletta.
The President of Russia described the incident as a terrorist attack. The priority now remains to prevent environmental damage and assess the possibility of towing the vessel to a safe area for inspection and repair.
Читайте ещё материалы по теме:
- Первый российский арктический газовоз «Алексей Косыгин» передали заказчику, церемония состоялась в Приморье
- Разработчик подводных лодок реализует новый проект: атомный подводный танкер-газовоз создадут в России
- Танкер-газовоз «Константин Посьет» вышел на ходовые испытания