War in the Middle East live Updates April 24, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ET U.S.-Iran Talks Israel-Lebanon Truce Strait of Hormuz Generals Running Iran Timeline of War Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. Supported by SKIP ADVERTISEMENT Rescue Effort for Russian Tanker Fails, in a New Era of Maritime Peril The ship, which carried fuel and natural gas, has been adrift for weeks in the Mediterranean Sea after a drone attack, alarming officials who fear an environmental disaster. Listen · 4:59 min Share full article The Arctic Metagaz, a Russian tanker, was adrift between Malta and Lampedusa, Italy, last month. Credit… Miguela Xuereb/Newsbook Malta, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images By Ephrat Livni April 23, 2026 See more of our coverage in your search results. Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on Google Agrega The New York Times en Google An operation to tow a Russian tanker adrift in the Mediterranean Sea failed on Wednesday, leaving the laden vessel unmoored about 120 nautical miles north of the city of Benghazi, Libya, according to the Libyan Ports and Maritime Transport Authority. Libya’s effort to tow the ship to safety failed when the towing cable snapped and could not be reattached, officials said in a statement , warning that the tanker poses a “significant environmental and navigational threat.” The 900-foot vessel, the Arctic Metagaz, has been drifting at sea since early March , when the crew abandoned the vessel after a drone attack. It held at least 700 tons of fuel and “a substantial quantity of natural gas,” and was attacked southeast of Malta, according to Russia’s foreign ministry . The attack left a gaping hole in the hull, aerial footage showed , alarming international government and maritime officials who fear a potential environmental disaster from any gas or fuel leaks. The Arctic Metagaz is considered part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” operating in violation of European and American sanctions. The ship’s name was changed last year, according to online ship records . Before the change, several Western countries, including the United States , had placed restrictions on the vessel. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attack on the tanker. Ukrainian officials have not commented on the claim. “The Ukrainians, on stuff like this, play their cards close to the chest,” said John C.K. Daly, a nonresident fellow at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington who has been tracking the war in Ukraine and retaliation on Russian shadow fleet vessels. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe . Related Content Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT