The Maltese-flagged cargo ship Ruby carrying Russian fertilizers, which was damaged on its way to Africa, has been drifting off the coast of Northern Europe since last month and has been unable to call at local ports for repairs. They do not want to accept the ship for fear that its cargo – ammonium nitrate – may explode, The New York Times (NYT) newspaper reported on Sunday, October 6.
According to the publication, Ruby left the port in the city of Kandalaksha, Murmansk region, in August. On board are 20 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate for delivery to one of the African ports. Soon after leaving Kandalaksha, the ship ran aground. As a result, several cracks appeared on the hull, and the rudder and propeller were damaged.
“Floating Mega Bomb”
From September 1 to September 4, the ship was in the port of Tromso, Norway, where it was inspected and sent for repairs to a port in another country. After this, Ruby headed for Klaipeda, but Lithuania did not allow it to enter the port. Local authorities fear the cargo could detonate, as happened in August 2020 at the port of Beirut, where 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded, killing 280 people and injuring seven thousand more. Economic damage then exceeded $15 billion.
Lithuanian officials called Ruby a “floating megabomb,” warning European politicians of possible Russian sabotage. After this, the ship was not allowed to dock in Malta.
Ruby is currently located 14 nautical miles off the coast of Kent in southeast England. The ship’s owners requested permission to berth from British authorities to unload fertilizer onto another ship and carry out repairs. The vessel refueled last week while remaining anchored at sea, according to the UK Coast Guard.
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Source: www.dv.ee
