Libya begins towing damaged Russian LNG tanker off its coast

Libya has begun operations to tow a damaged Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker that has been stranded off its coast since early March, the country’s UN-recognised government said in a statement on March 24, cited by Akhbar Libya.

Authorities in Tripoli said the operation is being overseen by the Coast Guard’s search and rescue coordination centre, with specialised teams successfully securing and attaching the vessel in preparation for towing it to a safer location.

The move aims to prevent the tanker from drifting closer to shore and to safeguard Libya’s territorial waters. Local sources said the vessel had approached the coast near the city of Zuwara, around 140km west of Tripoli, and is being closely monitored by the defence ministry.

The tanker, identified as the Arctic Metagas, was reportedly attacked earlier this month by maritime drones launched from the Libyan coast, according to Russia’s transport ministry, which attributed the strike to Ukrainian naval forces. All 30 crew members were reported safe following the incident.

Libyan authorities said the vessel was carrying around 62,000 tonnes of LNG and had been en route from Russia’s Murmansk port to Port Said in Egypt. The Egyptian government, however, denied any link to the vessel in a statement that followed the incident. 

Support for the operation includes a tugboat dispatched from the Misrata Free Zone, equipped with a specialised crew to assist in towing the heavily damaged vessel.

The incident is a result of ongoing and heightened risks in the region’s maritime routes, where shipping accidents and security threats remain a concern.