Stranded ship with "floating megabomb" stirs EU tensions
According to The New York Times, the damaged bulk carrier Ruby, flying the Maltese flag and carrying Russian fertilizers, has not been permitted to enter EU ports for several weeks. There is concern that thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate might explode.
Journalists have determined that on August 22, the bulk carrier Ruby left the port in Kandalaksha in Russia's Murmansk region. It was meant to deliver 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate to Africa. However, shortly after departing, the ship ran aground, causing damage to the hull and propeller, among other things.
Bulk carrier with a "megabomb"
The situation forced the ship's captain to embark on a voyage along the coasts of Nordic countries in search of assistance. Norway allowed the damaged ship to enter the port of Tromsø, where it stayed from September 1 to 4. In Norway, the ship underwent inspection, and minor repairs were carried out.
Inspectors found that the damage did not affect the cargo, and the fertilizer posed no threat. Nevertheless, they directed the ship to another location for repairs.
At the same time, inspectors insisted that the Ruby bulk carrier be accompanied by a tug boat.
The crew planned to sail to the Baltic Sea for repairs, which were supposed to take place in Lithuania. However, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stated that the bulk carrier would not be allowed into the port.
“Warned against possible Russian sabotage”
The Maltese authorities also refused to allow the ship to dock, even though it sails under the Maltese flag and is owned by a company registered in that country. The authorities decided that the ammonium nitrate must be removed from the ship's deck before it could enter a port.
The bulk carrier then sailed back north toward the United Kingdom. When the ship approached the islands, the former Lithuanian ambassador to the UK, Eitvydas Bajarunas, wrote in a column for a European advisory group that the ship was a "floating megabomb." In relation to this, Bajarunas "warned against possible Russian sabotage."
"Unfortunately, due to the media speculation that has surrounded this vessel, port terminals in the U.K. are reticent to take the vessel in," stated Serenity Shipping, a company based in the Emirates that operates the ship.
Fearing a repeat of Beirut
The NYT notes that Europe fears a recurrence of the incident that occurred in the port of Beirut, where on August 4, 2020, 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded.
The explosion occurred due to welding works in the warehouse where the ammonium nitrate was stored. As a consequence, 280 people died, another 7,000 were injured, and about 300,000 were left homeless.
The economic losses caused by the disaster exceeded 15 billion dollars. Following the explosion, protests erupted in the country, which led to the resignation of the Lebanese government.
