Malta declines permission for the stranded Ruby vessel to dock.
Following a prolonged search, Malta has subsequently denied access to the battered vessel "Ruby," laden with around 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate. The ship can only gain entry to a Maltese harbor if it first offloads its hazardous cargo, as stated by the transport authorities in Valletta.
The instructions given to the crew are to transfer the cargo to ships situating themselves beyond Maltese territorial waters. At present, the "Ruby," sporting the Maltese flag, is traversing the North Sea, en route back to the Mediterranean. Prior to this, it had been moored off the south coast of Norway for numerous days. Both Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania had turned it away. The vessel was slated to arrive in Malta on October 8, as per data from ship tracking services Vesselfinder and Marinetraffic.
The itinerary of the freighter has been under the scrutiny of various coastal states in the North and Baltic Seas in recent times, due to the nature of its cargo. Ammonium nitrate is known to have precipitated the catastrophe that unfolded in the Lebanese capital Beirut's port in August 2020, where vast quantities of the chemical had been stored unsafely for years. Over 200 lives were claimed in the ensuing explosion. Primarily used as a fertilizer component, it can also serve as an explosive.
The "Ruby" had set sail from the northern Russian peninsula of Kola. Shortly after departing the Russian port of Murmansk, it experienced hull damage under obscure circumstances, but pressed on with its journey. The 183-meter-long ship had spent the past few days drifting in the North Sea, unable to secure a docking spot. On Monday, it alterated course and identified Marsaxlokk, a southern Maltese port, as its destination.
The transport authorities in Valletta, being concerned about the cargo, have requested The Commission to provide expert advice on the safe offloading of the ammonium nitrate from the "Ruby." Despite the previous denials, The Commission is now engaged in negotiations with Maltese authorities to allow the ship to enter its waters while adhering to strict safety protocols.
