By Angelo Amante and Matteo Negri
ROME, March 13 (Reuters) - Italian authorities are weighing how to deal with a Russian liquefied natural gas tanker left adrift in the Mediterranean after what Moscow described as a Ukrainian drone attack, sources said on Friday.
Russia's transport ministry said the Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, was attacked last week by Ukrainian naval drones launched from the Libyan coast. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility.
Libya's maritime rescue agency initially said the tanker had sunk, but the vessel has remained afloat and is now drifting between Italy and Malta, around 30 nautical miles off the small Italian island of Linosa, the Italian navy said.
"The situation is under control. The ship is in international waters and the navy, a tugboat and an environmental response vessel are escorting it," said Filippo Mannino, mayor of Lampedusa, which includes Linosa.
MASSIVE DAMAGE ABOVE WATERLINE
Two Italian sources said it was still unclear how much LNG and fuel remained aboard the tanker. The 30 crew members were evacuated after the attack, which the sources said occurred south of Malta.
One source said all options were being considered, but the preferred solution would be for the vessel's manager, Russia-based LLC SMP Techmanagement, to hire a specialised company to tow it to safety.
Italy does not want the tanker to dock at one of its ports, the source said, describing it as a "ticking time bomb filled with gas".
It added that the drone appeared to have struck the ship above the waterline. The hull was still holding, although photos showed a gaping hole on the port side, with the stern sitting lower in the water than the rest of the ship.
A spokesperson for Italy's Civil Protection agency said the vessel was being monitored and was not heading towards Italian waters.
The boat got as close as 22 nautical miles to Malta's coast earlier this week, but now appeared to be drifting away, and was reported about 61 nautical miles offshore by Thursday.
Malta's transport authority warned other ships to keep at least five nautical miles away from the Arctic Metagaz at all times. Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta's government was ready to act if necessary, without giving details.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has repeatedly targeted Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure in an effort to undermine funding for Moscow's war machine.
(Additional reporting by Christopher Scicluna in Valletta; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Ros Russell)
