The damaged cargo ship Ruby, carrying some 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, has been trying to reach a port for days. After attempts in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea failed, Malta has now also rejected a similar request. The ship, which is used for the Russian ‘shadow fleet’, must first unload its explosive cargo, according to the Valletta Transport Authority.
The Maltese-flagged Ruby is currently in the North Sea on its way back to the Mediterranean. Before that, it spent several days off the southern coast of Norway. Norway, Sweden and Lithuania refused it entry. The ship then set course for Malta, where it was due to arrive on 8 October, according to online information from the ship tracking services Vesselfinder and Marinetraffic.
Ammonium nitrate led to disaster in Beirut
Due to its cargo, the freighter’s trajectory has been closely monitored by several states on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in recent days. Ammonium nitrate is seen as the cause of the disaster in the port of the Lebanese capital Beirut in August 2020, where large quantities of the chemical had been improperly stored in the port for years.
An explosion at the time killed over 200 people. It is mainly used as a main ingredient in fertilizers, but can also be used as an explosive.
Cargo must be transhipped at sea
The “Ruby” originally departed from the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia. Under unclear circumstances, she suffered damage to her hull shortly after leaving the Russian port, but continued sailing. The 183-meter-long ship has spent the past few days in the North Sea without finding a port to enter.
On Monday it changed course and gave as its destination the port of Marsaxlokk in the south-east of Malta. The authority now ordered the crew to transfer the cargo to vessels outside Maltese territorial waters.
Part of the Russian ‘shadow fleet’?
Although the ‘Ruby’ flies the Maltese flag, it is operated by a Lebanese-Syrian company and the Syrian Assad regime is a close ally of Russia. These circumstances suggest that the “Ruby” could be part of the Russian “shadow fleet”.
To circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting commodities such as oil, Russia operates an armada of officially abandoned ships that often sail the world’s oceans without insurance and under questionable conditions.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
