Ship carrying 20K tons of explosive cargo from Russia docks at NATO port

A ship carrying 20,000 tons of potentially hazardous cargo from Russia docked at a port in Norway this week after seeking shelter from a storm.

The Malta-flagged cargo vessel, the Ruby, departed from Russia’s northern port of Kandalaksha on August 22. It was loaded with ammonium nitrate, a substance used in fertilizer and explosives, when it docked at the port of Tromsø, which is located near to a university campus and university hospital, Norwegian publication The Barents Observer reported on Tuesday.

The bulker was ordered to leave the port on Tuesday and relocate further away to undergo repairs, police said.

Ammonium nitrate has been responsible for a number of incidents, including the 2020 Beirut explosion, which saw a large quantity of the substance stored at the Port of Beirut in Lebanon explode, killing at least 218 people. In 2015, in Tianjin, northern China, 173 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in a series of ammonium nitrate explosions.

Russia is one of the world’s largest exporters of ammonium nitrate, accounting for about two-thirds of the world’s annual 20 million metric tons ammonium nitrate production, according to financial services company S&P Global.

When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the country temporarily banned the export of ammonium nitrate to support domestic farmers, as fertilizer prices rose globally.

“Additional demand has arisen on the domestic market for ammonium nitrate from both agricultural producers and industrial businesses,” Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture said at the time.

“Repairs must be carried out, which it is not desirable to do so close to the city of Tromsø. The police are working together with the Norwegian maritime authorities and a number of other actors to resolve the situation in the best possible way,” Tromsø police said in a statement on Tuesday evening, adding that the vessel sustained hull damage after grounding.

Shipping documentation states that the vessel is carrying ammonium nitrate, the statement said.

“Under normal transport and storage conditions, ammonium nitrate is a stable chemical compound. At the same time, under given conditions and external influences such as fire, it can be explosive.

“The Norwegian Coastal Agency is assisting the police with advice about the vessel Ruby. Our sea traffic center in Vardø and the pilot service will assist in connection with the vessel being moved pending repair.”

Police said in an update on Wednesday morning that the ship would be moved to the village of Vannvåg within hours.

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