A cargo ship with links to Russia packed with explosive fertiliser is floating off the Kent coast after being denied entry at other ports over safety fears.

Ruby, a Maltese-flagged cargo ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser from a port in Russia, was ordered out of Tromso in Norway and turned away from Danish waters.

The ship is carrying seven times more explosives than the amount which caused the deadly Beirut port blast in 2020.

It is now floating three kilometres outside British waters north of Margate, east of the Thames Estuary, seemingly awaiting permission to enter the Strait of Dover. It is travelling with the assistance of a tugboat.

In order to enter the Dover Strait and continue its journey to Malta, it must report its presence, including the ship’s condition and any hazardous cargo to authorities.

The ship has been seeking a port for it to dock in as it is in need of repairs, having cracked its hull after previously running aground.

Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, a defence analyst at Nordic Defense Analysis and a former naval officer, questioned why the ship had not been ordered to return to Russia.

He said that its condition and cargo posed an environmental and health risk.

“One can question whether it is at all justifiable for the ship to be allowed to sail. There are several reasons for this,” he told Danish media. “It has cracks in the hull. It has rudder problems. It can no longer sail by itself, but must be towed.”

He added: “This is a ship that nobody wants, but that nobody can get rid of.”

In Beirut 2,750 tonnes of fertiliser caused the explosion that devastated Lebanon, in 2020, causing 218 deaths and more than 7,000 injuries.

Although its destination, according to marine tracking data, is Malta, a spokesman for the Maltese transport ministry told local press that without emptying its cargo, it would not be allowed in Maltese waters.

The tugboat, which has accompanied Ruby from Norway, is also under the Maltese flag.

The ship set sail from Kandalaksha, on the Kola peninsula in Russia, where the fertiliser was loaded and where it is believed to have run aground.

It took shelter in the Norwegian city of Tromso for repairs, where six deficiencies including a cracked hull, unlawful fuel, various safety issues and expired crew documents were discovered.

It has also been reported to have engine and rudder problems. However Tromso authorities moved the ship on from its mooring near a major hospital and university, over fears its explosive cargo posed a risk to the city.

It has since moored near the Andoya Nato air base and requested permission to go to Klaipeda in Lithuania, but Lithuania authorities said it would need to offload its cargo before docking.

While ammonium nitrate is explosive, it requires a significant trigger, making it generally safe and stable during transport.

Dan Kaszeta, an expert in chemical weapons defence, told The Times: “It needs a lot of odd circumstances to be a hazard, like being stored poorly in Beirut with a bunch of fireworks.”

The cargo ship is currently owned by a Dubai-registered company and records show it has been chartered by another Dubai-registered company with links to Russia.

Campaigners have previously warned that unseaworthy Russian oil tankers travelling through the Strait of Dover posed a risk of causing billions of pounds of environmental damage.

HM Coastguard and the Ministry of Defence were contacted for comment.