Cargo ship “Ruby” is supposed to have on board 20 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate – more commonly known as ammonium nitrate. The vessel may soon enter Danish waters, which has raised alarm in Copenhagen.
“The Danish Maritime Authority has noted that the motor vessel 'Ruby' is on its way to Danish waters. Apparently to carry out repairs in Lithuania. If the vessel sails in Danish waters, the authorities will closely monitor its route,” the authority said in a statement sent to the editorial office of the investigative portal “Danwatch”.
A ship carrying dangerous cargo is approaching the Baltic Sea.
According to Baltic Shipping records, the ship “Ruby” was registered in Malta. It is owned by a Lebanese company Sea Spirit Enterprisewhich has Syrian owners.
The unit is heading to port Las Palmas in Majorcaand it was loaded in the Russian port of Kandalaksha, in the Murmansk region.
On the way, the unit ran aground and was damaged. hull, propellers and rudders. Despite such serious defects, the Ruby sailed to Norway to make the necessary repairs.
Using a tugboat, the machine sailed to Tromsoe. For several days, the ship was at anchor some distance from the port. Ultimately, Norway refused to accept the unit and make repairs.
During the stop in Norway an inspection was carried out, which, in addition to the previously known faults, also revealed other, minor ones. In total, “Ruby” has six different faults. In addition, a number of irregularities were found in sailing qualifications of the crew.
According to Danish media, the Ruby is now heading towards Lithuania, but the country has already refused to accept the vessel. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte on Thursday she said that “the cargo will not be allowed in.”
The ship has enter the Baltic Sea even before the weekend.
Baltic Sea. “Ruby” part of hybrid warfare
The ship has seven times more ammonium nitrate on board than the one that caused the violent explosion in Beirut in 2020. 2.75 thousand tons of substances.
Jacob Kaarsbo, a senior analyst at the Danish Think Tank Europe and a former analyst at the Defense Intelligence Service, estimates that the ship could potentially be part of Russia's hybrid warfare. This is indicated by the links with Syria and the fact that the cargo comes from Russia.
“It could go wrong. No one is saying it will go wrong, but if it does, it could go really wrong,” he said.
Source: soefart.dk, Danwatch
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