A Russian cargo ship loaded with 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material, has raised concerns after docking in the Norwegian port of Tromsø, a city in a NATO-member country.
Authorities Raised the Alarm
The ship, named Ruby and flagged under Malta, arrived in Norway carrying the dangerous cargo, which is used in both fertilizers and explosives.
The port is located near a university campus and a hospital, heightening concerns over the potential risks, according to a report by Ziare
The Ruby departed from the Russian port of Kandalaksha on August 22, carrying ammonium nitrate, the same chemical responsible for several deadly explosions in recent years.
Most notably, it caused the 2020 Beirut explosion, which killed over 200 people, and the 2015 disaster in Tianjin, China, which left 173 dead. Given these precedents, the presence of such a large quantity of the chemical so close to populated areas raised alarms among authorities.
Damaged in Storm
Norwegian police quickly intervened and ordered the Ruby to leave Tromsø to conduct necessary repairs after the ship sustained hull damage during a storm.
"It’s not ideal to perform repairs this close to the city," said Tromsø police, who worked alongside Norwegian maritime officials to relocate the vessel.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration confirmed that their Maritime Traffic Center and pilot services were assisting in the safe transfer of the ship to Vannvåg, a nearby village, where repairs could be carried out.
Russia remains one of the world's leading exporters of ammonium nitrate, responsible for around two-thirds of global production. Following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia temporarily halted exports of ammonium nitrate to meet domestic demands, as global fertilizer prices skyrocketed.
