Ship packed with 20,000 tons of explosive Russian fertiliser floating off UK coast

Now, Ruby is sitting just over 12 nautical miles off the Kent coast - north of Margate and west of the Thames Estuary - and thus, out of reach of British waters.

The vessel and its Maltese-flagged tug have travelled all the way down from the Arctic Ocean desperately seeking a safe port in which it can undergo repairs after cracking its hull when running aground - with Malta earmarked as its eventual destination.

In order to pass through the Dover Strait and continue to the Mediterranean, it must report its presence, condition, as well as any hazardous cargo, to authorities - but question marks are lingering over why it hasn't been sent back to Russia.

Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, a defence analyst at Nordic Defense Analysis and a former naval officer, told Danish media: "One can question whether it is at all justifiable for the ship to be allowed to sail. There are several reasons for this.

"It has cracks in the hull. It has rudder problems. It can no longer sail by itself but must be towed.

"This is a ship that nobody wants, but that nobody can get rid of."

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Four years ago in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the explosion of more than 2,750 tons of fertiliser in a port led to 218 deaths and more than 7,000 injuries.

Though marine tracking data says Ruby is heading to Malta, a spokesman for the Maltese transport ministry has told local press that without emptying its cargo, the vessel will not be allowed in the island's waters.

The ship originally set sail from Kandalaksha, on the western Kola peninsula in Russia - both where the fertiliser was initially loaded aboard and where it is thought to have run aground.

Ruby then took shelter in the northern Norwegian city of Tromso looking for repairs, where an inspection by authorities found six deficiencies - including a cracked hull, unlawful fuel, various safety breaches and invalid crew documents.

The ship is also thought to have engine and rudder issues.

But Norwegian authorities swiftly moved the ship on from its mooring near Tromso's hospital and university after the alarm was raised that its cargo posed a risk to the city.

After moving south via Norway's Andoya Nato air base, Ruby continued on to the Kent coast, where she remains.