The vessel, Ruby, has raised safety concerns after being denied docking permission by Norwegian authorities earlier this month.
The 183-meter-long ship, operated by a Lebanese company with Syrian ownership, is linked to Russia and is currently
en route to the Lithuanian port in Klaipėda.
However, local authorities have refused to allow the vessel to dock unless it unloads its hazardous cargo at another port first.
Ruby, which carries seven times the amount of ammonium nitrate that caused the 2020 port explosion in Beirut which killed over 200 people, had previously been turned away from Tromsø, northern Norway.
A 500-meter safety zone was established around the ship, which was anchored near the country’s largest hospital.
Norwegian inspectors found six significant defects, including cracks in the hull and damage to the propeller and rudder, raising concerns about its seaworthiness.
Despite these issues, the vessel, registered in Malta, has continued its journey with tug assistance. It is expected to pass through the Danish Strait of the Great Belt, a challenging and narrow waterway, before the weekend.
According to reports, the ship’s captain has not requested pilot services for navigating the strait.
Analysts, including Jacob Kaarsbo of Danish think tank Think Tank Europe, have expressed concerns that Ruby may be part of Russia’s broader strategy of hybrid warfare, citing its connections to Syria and Russia.
After departing from Kandalaksha, a Russian port in the Murmansk region, the ship anchored near NATO’s strategically important Andøya airbase for several days, raising further suspicions.
Denmark, already dealing with a “shadow fleet” of Russian tankers circumventing sanctions, now faces added pressure to handle this precarious situation. Experts stress the need for NATO allies to coordinate a strategy to address the risks posed by Ruby and other similarly vulnerable vessels.
