Libya on edge as Russian tanker crisis continues

Tensions remain high along Libya’s eastern coastline as authorities continue to grapple with a damaged gas tanker that poses lingering environmental risks.

The Russian tanker Arctic Metagas has been towed approximately 80 nautical miles off the coast of Benghazi after forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar intervened to contain the threat, authorities remain on maximum alert, as reported by the Libya Observer on April 12. While the ship is now outside territorial waters, emergency teams remain on maximum alert as concerns persist over its structural condition and the potential for environmental fallout.

According to Magdi Al-Sharif, spokesperson for the crisis committee, inspections carried out during a meeting with the vessel’s representatives confirmed that, for now, the tanker’s gas tanks are not leaking. However, the ship has sustained significant engine damage and is experiencing a complete power failure. A support vessel, the Maradive tugboat, continues to track the tanker closely to prevent it from drifting under changing wind conditions.

Preparations are also underway onshore. Libya’s National Oil Corporation has stated that ports and affiliated companies are ready to respond immediately should the situation deteriorate.

Environmental officials have raised serious concerns about the risks posed by the cargo. Intisar Al-Majbari, who heads the Environmental Emergency Department, warned that any leak of liquefied petroleum gas could disrupt marine ecosystems and reduce oxygen levels in the water. She also highlighted the possibility of an explosion, which could devastate natural habitats and severely impact both fishing and tourism, while potentially triggering international liability for the ship’s owners and Russia.

The crisis began in early March 2026, when the tanker, carrying around 62,000 tonnes of gas, was attacked at sea. Russia immediately claimed that the attack was launched by Ukrainian operatives along Libya’s coast, this has since been confirmed and the attack was traced to western Libya.

Libya’s deep internal divisions have increasingly mirrored the wider fallout of the war in Ukraine, with authorities aligned to Khalifa Haftar in the east maintaining closer ties to Russia, while activity linked to Ukrainian operatives emerging from the west of the country underscoring how the conflict is playing out across the country’s fractured political landscape.

However Russia’s influence is not limited to Libya’s eastern authorities. Recent discussions between the Libyan army chief aligned with the Government of National Unity (GNU) and a Russian envoy centred on deepening military cooperation, signalling a desire by the Kremlin to extend its engagement in Libya beyond authorities under the control of Khalifa Haftar.

A subsequent fire and explosion caused partial sinking north of Sirte. Since then, drifting debris and unstable conditions have fuelled fears of wider environmental consequences across the eastern Mediterranean.

Libya Observer, Maghrebi.org