Damaged Malta-flagged vessel carrying explosive Russian cargo denied entry into European ports

A damaged Malta-flagged vessel carrying explosive Russian cargo has been denied entry into Nordic harbours and continues to be tracked amid concerns as its final destination is unknown.

The vessel, Ruby, is loaded with 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate from Russia, which is the same type of material that caused the largest man-made non-nuclear explosion ever in Beirut on 4 August 2020, which cost the lives of 218 people.

The vessel was rejected by Norway and Lithuania as it sought refuge for repairs after being damaged in a storm en route from Russia.

Norwegian inspectors found six faults, including hull cracking, and detained the ship for a week.

It was already known to have sustained damage to its propeller, hull and rudder in a storm.

The master then sought permission to berth in Klaipeda, Lithuania, for repairs. But Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said the ship would not be allowed to dock, according to the global shipping news source TradeWinds.

According to ship monitoring service Marine Traffic, the ship was moving at 9.3 knots per hour on Monday afternoon but its destination remains unclear as different ports continue to reject its presence.

There’s good reason to be cautious when dealing with the substance, which is mainly used for fertilizer and explosives, in the quantity that the freighter Ruby has right now, according to experts.

Explosives expert and safety manager at the Department of Chemistry at Aarhus University, Peter Hald, the vessel has explosive power equivalent to that of a first-generation atomic bomb.