Greece is preparing for a potential oil spill following two attacks on energy carriers trading with Russia near its waters. The country's coastguard and port authorities will conduct a wide-ranging preparedness exercise on 31 March to test reaction speed. This decision was prompted by two specific incidents: a drone attack on the laden, EU-sanctioned tanker Altura north of the Bosphorus, and an earlier attack on the LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean, from which Libya is now preparing to remove cargo and bunker fuel. The Greek Shipping Minister labeled these events a worrying and significant problem.

Mediterranean EU States Seek Coordinated Response

Five Mediterranean EU governments—Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain—have formally expressed concern to the EU about the environmental disaster risk from such attacks. In a letter, they called for a coordinated civil protection response to manage the fallout. The governments noted the widening scope of attacks, which sometimes target vessels not trading Russian oil at all and are not under EU sanctions. They are closely monitoring the increasing frequency of these incidents in both the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Sanctions Complicate Crisis Management

The letter also highlighted that differing international sanctions regimes create operational constraints for crisis response. While EU sanctions allow exemptions for maritime safety emergencies, other jurisdictions' sanctions do not, making coordinated action difficult. This issue has previously delayed salvage operations for ships attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Context of the Attacks and Escalation

Ukraine, widely believed to be behind the attacks, has not confirmed or denied involvement in the Altura and Arctic Metagaz incidents. It has, however, confirmed involvement in several similar past events while describing others as Russian "false flag" operations. Over the past two years, several Russian-trading ships have been attacked in the Black Sea, Baltic, Mediterranean, and as far as West Africa. Many past attacks targeted ballasting ships, suggesting a coordinated campaign by expert teams aimed at crippling vessels without causing major environmental damage. The recent strikes on the laden Arctic Metagaz and Altura, however, represent a concerning escalation.