The damaged cargo ship Ruby, carrying 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, did not enter the Baltic Sea over the weekend. The shipowner is looking for a port to unload the dangerous cargo. Ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut in 2020.
According to online ship tracking service Marinetraffic.com, the MV Ruby was in international waters in the Skagerrak Strait between Norway and Denmark.
The Danish Maritime Administration ordered the captain to order the services of a sea pilot to help the ship sail through the shallow and narrow Danish straits. A request for such support was received on Friday. Ultimately, this route was no longer valid. – The reason for the change is the need to find a place where it will be possible to empty the ship of dangerous goods – Danish Maritime Administration officials emphasized in an email sent to TV2.
The Skagerrak Strait between Norway and DenmarkGoogle Maps
Security related refusals
As reported by the Swedish newspaper Goeteborgs-Posten, the port of Goeteborg, among others, refused to accept the ship due to security issues. Earlier, the authorities did not allow the vessel with explosives to enter. Lithuania.
According to the Danish newspaper “Information” and the Danwatch investigative team, the Ruby ship is controlled by a company from Lebanonowned by Syrians, is sailing with cargo from Russia. He is registered on Malta.
The vessel, bound for the port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, sailed from the Russian port of Kandalaksha in Murmansk Oblast but ran aground. Despite this, the ship sailed 1,600 km with damage before reaching Tromsoe in northern Norway, where it was refused leave. The inspection revealed six defects, including cracks in the hull and damage to the propeller and rudder. It also found irregularities in the crew's sailing qualifications. The ship is being assisted by a tugboat.
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