VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Authorities have drawn up contingency plans in case the Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz drifts closer to Malta, after the vessel moved to within 38 nautical miles southeast of the islands.
The tanker was struck by a maritime drone last week, leaving a massive hole in its hull while it was about 150 nautical miles southeast of Malta. Just 23 hours before the attack, the vessel had been only 25 nautical miles away from the country, near Hurd’s Bank.
Officials are closely monitoring the situation but currently have no jurisdiction to intervene as the ship remains outside Maltese territorial waters.
Malta would act if the vessel drifts to within 12 nautical miles of the islands, the limit of national territorial waters.
Authorities are also attempting to contact the tanker’s managing company to determine what the ship’s owners intend to do with the damaged vessel.
If it continues to move closer, Malta could take steps to keep the tanker further offshore or arrange for it to be towed away from the islands.
The Arctic Metagaz is believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”, a network of vessels used to transport Russian oil outside Western oversight following sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
These ships often operate with opaque ownership and insurance structures beyond EU and G7 jurisdictions, allowing them to continue trading with countries that have not joined the sanctions regime.
In recent years, authorities have increased monitoring capacity and invested in maritime screening systems to identify high-risk vessels and conduct due diligence on ships bunkering offshore.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
