Malta Monitoring Hulk of Russian LNG Carrier After Libya Towed it to Sea

Monitoring efforts are continuing on the wreck of the Arctic Metagaz with fresh concerns raised as a strong storm is moving across the Mediterranean. Officials from the Armed Forces of Malta confirmed to Malta Today that they are monitoring the movement of the ship but denied reports that it is back in the Maltese zone of the Mediterranean.

The latest indications are that the tugs Misrata and Samida sent to reposition the wreck away from the Libyan coast have taken the ship so that it is now approximately 100 nautical miles north-northeast of Libya and near the border with the zone controlled by Malta.

The towline on the hulk parted over the weekend due to strong seas. Video online shows the crews of the Libyan tugs going back aboard the hulk in a risky move to reattach the towline. While they were successful, reports are that the weather has caused the towline to part several times.

???? #ArcticMetagaz ????????
— The Wreck Odissey
Incredible footage of the hazardous operations to restore the connection after the towline breakage b/t the ???? #Maridive701 ???????? tugboat and the wreck of the Russian tanker, about ?? 10 miles off the Misrata northern coast.

Between the… pic.twitter.com/FLGzaf2Di2

— Sergio Scandura (@scandura) March 30, 2026

(Video of the attempts to reattach the towline after it parted)

Italy’s Agenzia Nova is saying that it has been determined that it is too dangerous to maintain the towline during the current storm. They report that the winds are forecast to gust up to 46 knots and waves will be up to five meters (16 feet) between now and April 3. They report that the Libyan tug Maridive 701 ceased the towing operation on March 31 but continues to stand by at a safe distance.

Malta’s AFM also told Malta Today that their overflights have shown a Libyan tug continuing to be in the area. Other reports have claimed the Libyans abandoned the wreck.

Libya’s National Petroleum Company had reported that it was working with Italy’s Eni to retrain international experts to lead a salvage operation. The original plan said the vessel would be brought to a port in Libya, but the latest reports said the international sanctions on the vessel are causing problems for the salvage operation. Libya also reportedly does not have facilities to deal with the wreck, which has been abandoned by its Russian operators.

The latest plan had repositioned the wreck away from the Libyan coast and its offshore oil operations. They had said experts were conducting gas monitoring and working to determine how much of the LNG cargo might still be aboard the vessel. With the ship dead in the water, the LNG has turned to gas, and there was some belief it might have been venting, while others suggested there is a gas buildup in the two remaining tanks.

The wreck is also believed to still have approximately 900 tons of diesel fuel aboard the ship. While it continues to list heavily, the hulk has appeared to mostly remain stable. The divisions in the hull for the gas tanks were thought to be helping to hold back a further ingress of water.

March 31 photo showing the tug standing by the wreck after releasing the towline (Libya General Administration for Coastal Security)

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There has been no further comment from the Libyan authorities about the plan for the ship. Malta and the other authorities in the region report they continue to monitor the situation. Government officials in Malta previously said they have contingency plans if the wreck approaches the coast of Malta.

The wreck has been drifting in the Mediterranean for a month since it was rocked by an explosion and fire on March 3, southeast of Malta. It at times approached Malta and Italy’s islands before being driven by the wind and currents close to Libya. Russia continues to call for an investigation, saying the vessel was attacked by a Ukrainian sea drone, but officials in Ukraine have not acknowledged an attack on the Arctic Metagaz.