The European Union has sounded the alarm about an abandoned Russian tanker filled with fuel and gas.
At least nine EU countries have written to the European Commission about the potential dangers of fuel and gas leakage from the tanker currently floating in waters between Malta and Italy in the Mediterranean.
An Italian official described the tanker as an “environmental bomb” that could “explode at any time.”
The letter states that the injured cargo tanker poses an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster in the heart of EU waters.
The damaged vessel was part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which intended to find a way around the EU towards Russia in the wake of the 2022 attack on Ukraine.
The ship sailed from the Russian port of Murmansk in February, and it was carrying 700 tons of various types of fuel, including a significant amount of natural gas.
The ship was reportedly attacked and caught fire in March; However, Ukraine did not claim responsibility for any attack. There was a crew of 30 on board the tanker who remained safe.
Russia condemned the incident, describing it as an act of “international terrorism and maritime piracy”.
It claimed the ship was attacked near Malta in international waters by Ukrainian drones launched from the Libyan coast.
