For the second month, a ship carrying ammonium nitrate from Russia, which was damaged after setting sail, cannot be repaired in European ports. The media and local politicians have created such hysteria that the ship operator and owner no longer know what to do. The cargo ship is docked off the coast of Great Britain.
On August 22, the cargo ship Ruby departed Kandalaksha with a cargo of ammonia and headed for Malta. But it ran aground in Norwegian territorial waters and was damaged. The Port State Control Inspectorate in Tromsø said the ship had a cracked hull and a problem with the propulsion system, including a bent propeller.
In Tromso they refused to accept the Ruby and, after temporary repairs, the ship continued on its way, trying to find a port in Europe for a major restoration. However, nothing worked as the media and politicians created hysteria. Some recalled the ammonium nitrate explosion in a Beirut port warehouse, which destroyed part of the city and killed 200 people. And they emphasized that there was three times more ammonia on board: 20 thousand tons. Others built conspiracy theories.
For example, the former ambassador of Lithuania to Russia. Eitvydas Bayarunas wrote for the American Center for Policy Research (CEPA*) that the ship did not return to Russia, but is supposedly looking for a European port for repairs, because it may be a hybrid strategy of Russia to destroy important centers. For example, because Tromso is a naval base. EITHER…
“Allowing Ruby to dock in Klaipeda would create a significant security risk, as the cargo would pose a direct physical threat to a critical infrastructure node, making it a potential trigger for destabilization if used by hostile actors. “Klaipeda is vital for Lithuania and NATO in several strategic areas: military logistics, energy security and regional energy stability.” – wrote the diplomat.
The hysteria against Ruby with its ammonia cargo has caused headaches for the ship’s owner, Maltese Ruby Enterprises, and the operator, Serenity Ship Management of the United Arab Emirates.
A month and a half after setting sail, the ship is still in limbo. It is located almost 20 kilometers from Margate in the UK, as owners, managers, P&I Club reinsurers, insurers and UK authorities including SOSREP and the coastguard work to resolve the issue, writes The Isle of Thanet News.
“Unfortunately, due to media speculation surrounding this vessel, port terminals in the UK are reluctant to accept the vessel.” – said the representative of Ruby’s owner. According to him, speculation led to it being impossible to reload ammonium nitrate onto another ship so that the cargo ship could be repaired.
*An organization whose activities are recognized as undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation.
