- A sanctioned Russian tanker, the Arctic Metagaz, is adrift in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Italy, leaking 700 metric tonnes of fuel and natural gas.
- Nine EU countries have written to the European Commission, with an Italian official warning the vessel could 'explode at any moment' and poses a 'serious' ecological disaster risk.
- The EU identifies the tanker as part of Russia's 'Shadow Fleet,' used to circumvent sanctions imposed following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- The vessel, which set out from Murmansk in February, caught fire in early March, with Russia claiming it was attacked by Ukrainian naval drones launched from Libya.
- Russia's foreign ministry stated it is in contact with the vessel's owner and foreign authorities, emphasising coastal countries' responsibility for resolving the situation and preventing an environmental catastrophe.
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