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- A cargo ship is nearing British waters after causing concern in several European countries.
- Ruby was loaded with 20,000 metric tons of ammonium nitrate in a Russian port.
- Lithuania and Malta have barred the ship from docking with its explosive cargo.
A damaged cargo ship carrying potentially explosive cargo from Russia is about to pass through British territorial waters.
Data from MarineTraffic showed the Ruby about 14 nautical miles off the English coast on Thursday afternoon — just two miles short of its maritime border.
BBC News reported that the ship was carrying 20,000 metric tons of ammonium nitrate. That's about seven times more than the amount responsible for the 2020 Beirut port explosion.
There's no suggestion that the cargo, which is used as a fertilizer, poses any immediate danger.
The UK Coastguard said it was in contact with the Ruby and would monitor its progress through British waters. The ship is being accompanied by an escort tug and is expected to refuel at sea.
The Ruby has still recently triggered alarm in numerous European countries.
The Maltese-flagged vessel departed Russia in July, from the north-western port of Kandalaksha, near Finland, per BBC News.
Data from VesselFinder shows it stopped at Tromso, in northern Norway, earlier this month.
Norway's Maritime Authority told the BBC it found damage to the Ruby's hull, propeller and rudder — but still deemed it seaworthy.
The ship was then set to dock in Lithuania, but the country's prime minister barred it from entering the country with its cargo, local media reported.
It also made headlines as it passed by Denmark. "Nobody wants this ship because of the load," Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, a defense analyst at Nordic Defense Analysis and a former naval officer, told Dagbladet Information.
"The best thing for this ship would be to return to Russia, where it came from," he added.
Data from MarineTraffic showed the Ruby was destined for Marsaxlokk in Malta. However, officials told local media that they won't let the ship dock because of its cargo.