A RUSSIAN ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of explosive cargo is docking at a UK port today.
Dubbed the ” floating bomb”, The MV Ruby has sparked alarm after reportedly being turned away from other European countries.
But the UK has welcomed it in and now highly explosive ammonium nitrate is due to dock at Great Yarmouth port.
Just 2,750 tonnes of fertiliser caused the explosion that devastated Beirut four years ago, causing 218 deaths and more than 7,000 injuries – The Ruby’s haul contains over seven times that.
The Ruby was first seen near the Kent coast in September after being forced to leave the Norwegian port of Tromso due to fears over the massive cargo on board.
The damaged cargo ship made the decision to stop in Tromso, Norway, on September 3, whilst seeking safety from a storm.
Its propeller, hull, and rudder had been damaged, but following several days authorities insisted the ship leave as fears grew among locals.
After docking briefly in Norway, authorities ordered it out just days later after fears its explosive cargo posed a risk to the city.
But Sir Roger Gale, MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich, said that the cargo was safe following his meeting with Shipping Minister Mike Kane earlier this month.
He posted on social media: “I am advised that the cargo, originally destined for Africa is safe”.
“Due to damage to the ship which has not rendered the vessel unseaworthy but requires repair [and] negotiations are ongoing to unload the cargo.
He added: “[I] am led to believe the ship itself is neither Russian-owned nor flagged, so no international law has been broken.”
He posted on social media: “I am advised that the cargo, originally destined for Africa, is safe.”
“Due to damage to the ship, which has not rendered the vessel unseaworthy but requires repair, negotiations are ongoing to unload the cargo.”
He added: “[I] am led to believe that the ship itself is neither Russian-owned nor flagged, so no international law has been broken.”
According to Marine Traffic, the Ruby was headed to Malta.
However, a spokesman for the Maltese transport ministry told local press that without emptying its cargo, the ship would not be allowed in Maltese waters.
They confirmed that “the ship will only be allowed to port in Malta if it empties the cargo; if not, it will not be allowed to enter Maltese territorial waters.”
Previously, Lithuanian authorities stated the ship could only dock in the country if it first offloaded the fertiliser.
Ingrida Simonyte, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, mentioned on September 12 that the Ruby would not be allowed to dock at Klaipėda for repairs, according to local media.
Earlier this year, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram emphasized, “Andoya plays an important role in national security, allied defence, and technological development.
“The growing military-strategic significance of the base for Norway and NATO requires that we continue manned guarding.”
The NATO member state opted to invest more in the base amid increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which has now entered its third year.
Russia has accused NATO of involving itself in the conflict by supplying Ukraine with military aid and weapons.
It comes after Vladmir Putin vowed to hit back if Ukraine uses long-range missiles to strike Russia.
Elsewhere, dramatic footage was revealed, showing the moment a Ukrainian kamikaze drone blitzed Vladimir Putin’s war factory.
What is ammonium nitrate and what is it used for?
Ammonium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula NH₄NO₃.
It is a white crystalline solid and is highly soluble in water.
Ammonium nitrate is predominantly used in agriculture as a fertiliser.
The chemical is applied in granule form into the soil and quickly dissolves under moisture, allowing nitrogen to be released.
Another use of ammonium nitrate is in the food industry where it is used as a nutrient in producing antibiotics and yeast.
In most countries, it is used to make explosives for mining, quarrying and civil construction because of its low cost and ready availability.
It has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the last three decades, including the explosion at a chemical plant in Toulouse, France, in 2001 that killed 31 people.
Ammonium nitrate was also used to create the explosives used in the 2006 Mumbai train bombings.
