The Emergency Committee appointed by Government of National Unity to monitor the incident involving the Russian gas tanker Arctic Metagaz praised the efforts of the Coast Guard teams, which helped divert the tanker and prevent it from drifting toward populated shores or colliding with critical infrastructure.

In a statement to the Libyan news agency, the committee commended the level of on-site coordination among all national agencies, emphasizing that the safety of citizens and the protection of Libya’s marine environment “remained the top priority from the very first moments of dealing with this incident,” noting that technical monitoring continues “to ensure the tanker is towed to a safe area in accordance with international standards.”

The Russian Tanker Crisis

Yesterday, Thursday, the Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Coast Guard announced a plan to tow the tanker to prevent it from drifting toward the coast, ensuring full control of the situation and avoiding any environmental damage.

Arctic Metagaz suffered an explosion on March 3, losing its ability to sail, with approximately 62,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas on board, in addition to about 900 tons of diesel fuel. The entire crew was evacuated, while Moscow accused Ukraine of being behind the incident.