Damaged Russian LNG tanker breaks loose from tow off Libya

Storm halts towing operation as vessel drifts uncontrolled, raising safety concerns

A Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker damaged in a suspected Ukrainian attack in the Mediterranean broke loose in a storm while being towed by a Libyan tugboat on Thursday, Libya's Ports and Maritime Transport Authority said.

"The tanker is out of control, and the tugboat is unable to return to re-tie it under these hazardous weather conditions," the authority said in a navigational warning letter.

The towing operation - to keep the ship away from coastal towns west of the capital, Tripoli - failed due to severe weather conditions, the Tripoli-based authority said.

It requested all ships and naval vessels avoid the area and advised them to stay at least 10 nautical miles away from the Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz.

The tanker is carrying LNG from Russia's Arctic port of Murmansk and has been adrift since early March, when Russia's Transport Ministry said it was hit by Ukrainian naval drones launched from Libya.

Neither Ukraine nor Libya have commented on the incident.

Italy, France, Spain and six ⁠other southern EU members wrote to the European Commission in March warning the tanker posed "an imminent and serious risk of a major ecological disaster".

Libya's coast guard began towing the abandoned tanker last week.