The European Union has raised the alarm over an abandoned Russian oil tanker full of fuel and gas.
At least nine EU countries have written a letter to the EU Commission about the potential dangers of fuel and gas leaking 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 moment.”
The letter states that the injured tanker represents an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster in the heart of EU waters.
The damaged ship was part of Russia’s Shadow Fleet, which sought to find a way to bypass the EU against Russia following its attack on Ukraine in 2022.
The ship set sail from the Russian port of Murmansk in February and was carrying 700 metric tons of different types of fuel, including a significant amount of natural gas.
The ship was apparently attacked and burned in March; However, Ukraine did not take responsibility for any attacks. A crew of 30 was on board the tanker, who were kept safe.
Russia condemned the incident, describing it as an act of “international terrorism and maritime piracy.”
It alleged that the ship was attacked near Malta in international waters with Ukrainian drones launched from the Libyan coast.
