Arctic Metagaz: Rogue Tanker's Environmental Threat

0:00Global story is making news on March 17th. A Russian tanker named Arctic Medagas is drifting out of control in the Mediterranean Sea. This sanctioned vessel, loaded with liquid natural gas, suffered a big hole in its side from suspected sea drone strikes near Malta. With no crew on board, it's sparking fears of a huge environmental disaster. The ship left Russia's Murmansk port in February. A caught fire in early March, and Russian leaders blamed Ukraine for the attack. Livian coast guards rescued the crew two weeks ago, and while it was first reported sunk, the tanker has kept floating unmanned ever since. Italian officials are calling it an environmental bomb that could explode at any moment. They joined eight other EU nations in urging the European Commission to act fast. The risks come from significant amounts of LNG, plus 450 tons of fuel oil and 250 tons of diesel on board. Meanwhile, the vessel is heading south from Italian waters, and lampedusa, toward Libya.

1:01Italy and Malta are tracking its path closely. This is part of Russia's shadow fleet, which turns off transponders to dodge western sanctions and fund the war in Ukraine. Experts from the world wildlife fund are on maximum alert. A spill here could ignite fires and pollute a key area full of protected species. Ukrainian strikes on these tankers have ramped up lately, mirroring Russia's attacks on Ukraine's energy grid. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor, linked in the description. Do not just listen to podcasts, get lost in them comfortably, SOLI, solely pillow.com