Russian ‘floating bomb’ ship dumps ‘explosive cargo’ off Norfolk coast

A damaged cargo ship nicknamed the ‘floating bomb’ has allegedly dumped its load off the Norfolk coast.

MV Ruby docked in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, with 20,000 tonnes of explosive material on October 28 – more than seven times the amount that devastated Beirut in a massive explosion in 2020.

The plan had been to offload the cargo – ammonium nitrate fertiliser commonly used in agriculture – onto another vessel before carrying out repairs.

However, it has now emerged that some of the contaminated fertiliser may have been discharged in the North Sea after the ship left Great Yarmouth briefly, MailOnline reports.

A Norfolk County Council spokesperson said it understood that the vessel left the port this weekend to ‘discharge the contaminated cargo at sea.’

Council leaders have criticised the government and Transport Secretary Louise Haigh for allowing the vessel to come back after it returned once again to Great Yarmouth today.

Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig and Great Yarmouth Borough Council deputy leader Graham Plant said in a joint statement they were ‘extremely concerned that the Secretary of State’s representative has agreed that this ship can return.’

They continued: ‘That is unacceptable.

‘It should never have come in the first place, due to the potential risk of a major explosion that could have affected residents and businesses across Great Yarmouth.

‘On behalf of the people of Yarmouth, we urge the Government to halt the return of the MV Ruby.’

The Department for Transport said the authorities are content that the ship and its cargo ‘meet safety standards.’

It added that there was no legal basis upon which Ms Haigh could have refused entry to the ship as all safety requirements were met.

Believed to have originally been destined for Africa, the Maltese-registered ship was damaged in a storm last month after leaving the Russian port of Kandalaksha in August.

Its propeller, hull, and rudder need repairs, but first its cargo must be offloaded and reloaded onto a second ship that will deliver it to its final destination.

But the Ruby has found itself sailing around the North Sea in search of somewhere to do this because it can’t find anywhere to dock.

Earlier in October it was spotted anchored off Margate, Kent, after being refused entry at ports throughout Europe due to its deadly cargo of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, a common ingredient in fertiliser.

The Ruby’s explosive cargo is more than seven times larger than the 2,750 tonnes which exploded in the Port of Beirut in Lebanon, killing 218 people in 2020.

It was first spotted near Kent in September after being forced to depart from the Norwegian port of Tromso due to concerns over its cargo, just three days after it docked there for repairs.

Port authorities in Great Yarmouth said they can handle the cargo safely, and local emergency services are working with them on this.

Port director Richard Goffin said previously: ‘The Port of Great Yarmouth has the capability to handle hazardous materials and the discharge and transhipment of such materials and cargo is common practice across our port group.

‘Our team is well-versed in implementing rigorous safety protocols and we strictly adhere to all UK safety regulations and international maritime standards.

‘Our role is to ensure that the MV Ruby is able to safely discharge and continue with its onward journey.’

Cliff Thoburn, a global head of intelligence at RMI Global Solutions, told Metro it is ‘highly unlikely that the MV Ruby is deliberate bomb plot planned by Moscow’s intelligence chiefs.’

However, UK intelligence and police ‘will be keeping a very close eye on the Ruby ad its cargo nonetheless,’ he said.

He said the Great Yarmouth port ‘is one of few facilities in Europe that can handle hazardous materials’ and the Peel Ports Group has ‘considerable expertise in this type of work.’

But the work to transfer the cargo into smaller vessel for onward travel and short-term storage in warehouses ‘will take some time to complete,’ he added.

But its presence in the seaside town was a concern for local residents, MailOnline reported.

Mia Atkinson, 28, of Great Yarmouth who was on the beach next to the town’s port with her children Riley, ten, and Lexi-May, nine, said: ‘This ship is a little bit concerning.

‘I walk up and down here every day. I understand that this is an industrial area and some places use chemicals, but this is a ridiculous amount.

‘There are loads of holidaymakers on the beach here when the weather is nice and they should not be exposed to this.’

Jackie Shales, 76, of nearby Lowestoft who was beachcombing on Great Yarmouth beach with her husband Keith, 78, added: ‘It is a bit worrying.

‘It sounds like a floating timebomb which could go off at anytime. It is all very well saying the ship is safe, but how come other countries have turned it away?’

Serenity Ship Management, which manages MV Ruby, assured people that: ‘The vessel’s cargo poses no risk to the surrounding area in its present state.

‘The owners and managers of the Ruby would like to take this opportunity to thank the UK authorities for their support throughout the vessel’s stay in UK territorial waters, while we express gratitude to Peel Ports Group for accommodating our request to complete a transhipment at Great Yarmouth.’

The decision to allow the MV Ruby into UK waters has been approved by the UK Government and The Department for Transport, maritime publication gCaptain reports.

Sir Roger Gale, MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich, after meeting with Shipping Minister Mike Kane last month, stated that the cargo is safe.

‘I do not believe my constituents face any threat to their security as a result of the presence of this vessel eleven miles off the North Kent coast,’ he wrote on X.

‘I am advised that the cargo, originally destined for Africa, of class 2 ammonium nitrate is safe.’

He also added: ‘[I] am led to believe that the legal situation is that because the ship itself is neither Russian owned nor flagged no international law has been broken or sanctions breached.’ .

Stored correctly, ammonium nitrate is relatively safe. But it can explode if it comes into contact with intense heat or ignition in a confined space like a warehouse.

This is what fuelled fear among locals in Norway, who were concerned about its proximity to a university campus, hospital, and hundreds of homes, in Tromso, eventually forcing it to leave.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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