Malta has denied entry to the damaged cargo ship „Ruby“, carrying about 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, until it has unloaded its cargo, the transport authority said on Tuesday.

The authority ordered the crew to transfer the cargo to vessels outside Malta's territorial waters.

The Maltese-flagged vessel „Ruby“ is currently in the North Sea and is returning to the Mediterranean. It has spent several days off the southern coast of Norway. Norway, Sweden and Lithuania have prevented it from entering their ports.

The Russian-linked vessel has therefore turned to Malta, where it is due to arrive on 8 October, according to the online vessel tracking services VesselFinder and MarineTraffic.

Countries are closely monitoring the route of a cargo ship for its cargo. Ammonium nitrate can be used as a key ingredient in fertilisers, but also as an explosive substance.

Ammonium nitrate is believed to be the cause of the disaster that occurred in the port of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, in August 2020. Large quantities of the chemical have been improperly stored there for many years. More than 200 people were killed in a massive explosion that year.

The ship „Ruby“ first sailed from the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia. In unexplained circumstances, its hull was damaged shortly after leaving the Russian port, but it continued its journey anyway.

The 183-metre-long vessel has spent the last few days in the North Sea without finding a port of call. On Monday, it changed course and set its destination for the port of Marsaslok in south-east Malta.