Russian ship dubbed the floating bomb that is carrying 20,000 tons of explosive cargo is spotted near Kent - just days after Norway kicked it out for being too dangerous
A Russian ship loaded with 20,000 tons of explosive cargo - and has previously been dubbed the floating bomb - has been spotted near the Kent coast today.
A Russian ship loaded with 20,000 tons of explosive cargo - and has previously been dubbed the floating bomb - has been spotted near the Kent coast today.
The ship, nicknamed the Ruby, was located near Margate according to VesselFinder - a service that provides real-time data on the location of numerous ships.
This comes shortly after the damaged Malta-flagged cargo ship was seen near a Norwegian military base, mere days after the NATO country gave the boat the boot.
The vessel had been stocked with cargo from a port in Kandalaksha in northern Russia on August 22, before making its way to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
However, the Russian ship made the decision to have a port stop in Tromsø days afterwards on September 3, seeking safety from a storm. Newsweek reports.
A Russian cargo ship (Pictured) loaded with explosives was spotted off the coast of Kent
Dubbed the floating bomb, the vessel also known at the Ruby was recorded by VesselFinder as being near Margate
Its propeller, hull, and rudder had been damaged, but following several days authorities insisted the ship leave as fears grew among locals.
Residents became increasingly concerned as the ship was anchored near a university campus. a hospital as well as hundreds of homes.
The Ruby is packed with a explosive substance, which is also used in fertilizer, known as ammonium nitrate.
The vessel has around seven times more of this explosive substance than the 2,750 tons which devastated the Port of Beirut in Lebanon four years ago, killing 218 people.
According to Newsweek, authorities did not outright say the ship could erupt however they did say it was not desirable for the vessel to be so close to the Norwegian city.
According to Marine Traffic - a global ship tracking website - the Ruby left Norway and made its way towards the countrys north -near the municipality of Andøy.
The decision was made to pump 37.5 million kroner into the Andøya Air Station, which was constructed in 1951, following a NATO meeting.
The money was to be used for defending the air base which will eventually be used for the use of long-range drones to monitor the seas.
In May, the Norwegian Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said: Andøya plays an important role in national security, allied defence and technological development.
The growing military-strategic significance of the base for Norway and NATO requires that we continue manned guarding.
(Pictured: The devastation in Lebanon in 2020) The Ruby has seven times more of ammonium nitrate than found in this disaster, which killed 218 people
The NATO member state opted to invest more in the base following increasing tensions between the diplomatic mission and Russia regarding the conflict in Ukraine, which has now entered its third year.
Russia had previously accused NATO of involving itself in the conflict by supplying Ukraine with weapons and military aid.
Russian officials have often suggested they would possibly attack members of NATO as retaliation for helping Ukraine.
Ingrida Šimonytė, the Prime Minister of Lithuania stated on September 12 that the Ruby would not be allowed to dock at Klaipėda for repairs, according to local media.
MailOnline has approached Norways Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UKs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
