A Russian cargo ship carrying tonnes of explosives has been stationed off the Kent coast for the past four days.

Here is everything we know so far about the vessel…

Where is the ship?

The mv Ruby is anchored off the Kent coast, 15 miles from Margate. It is hoping to journey through the Dover Straits, heading to Malta.

However, The Sun reports that the Maltese transport ministry told local press that it would not be allowed in Maltese waters unless it emptied its cargo

What exactly is it carrying?

It is carrying 20,000 tonnes of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate - the material which caused a devastating explosion that killed 218 people in Beirut in 2020, because it was not stored properly.

Where did it stop before reaching Margate?

She left the Russian port of Kandalaksha on August 22 before running into difficulty in Norway. She was hoping to dock for repairs in the Scandinavian country for a few days on September 3 but was told the location would be too close to a hospital and university so she was refused entry.

She has also been denied access to Lithuanian and Swedish ports for the same reason.

What is the damage to the ship?

She is understood to have sustained a cracked hull, rudder and propeller damage during a storm.

Is the vessel a threat to Kent?

The cargo is believed to be up to seven times more than the amount which was present in the Beirut blast which saw about 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, which is used in animal fertiliser, explode in the Lebanese capital.

This caused extensive damage worth about $15 billion, resulted in 218 deaths and left 300,000 people homeless.

Shipping expert Nigel Scutts, who runs the Dover Straits Shipping group on Facebook, says in the worst-case scenario the crew may have to ditch the cargo which could potentially lead to a huge ecological incident, if the ship cannot dock.

He said: “In essence, will any port agree to let her discharge her cargo?

“Perhaps, the vessel will lay off somewhere and tranship part cargoes to smaller ships.

“And perhaps, in the worse case scenario, she could founder and 20,000 tonnes of that stuff will likely create a marine disaster the likes of which, is not something anyone wants to consider.”

Is there any other danger?

The wreck of the second world war cargo ship the SS Richard Montgomery is not far away and a fire on board MV Ruby could possibly detonate the 10,353 bombs still on board the sunken munitions vessel.

The mv Ruby is not thought to be part of a Russian plot to instigate war although testing Nato responses with these type of vessels is said to be a practice favoured by President Putin.

The Royal Navy is keen to stress they are “aware of her” but that it is a civil issue.

What’s next?

Mr Forgione, director general of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade explained said: “This is a really tricky and difficult issue, as no ports along the way are willing to accept the ship to try and address the challenges it faces due to its potential explosive cargo.

“With the reported damage it has sustained, to the hull, to the propeller and to the rudder, it's close to impossible to try and resolve those issues while the ship is at sea.”

A spokesman for the Kent Coastguard said: “The vessel is currently securely anchored outside UK territorial waters, after successfully completing refuelling at sea at 2115 local time yesterday (Saturday, September 28).

“The vessel will remain at anchor in the same position for the rest of the weekend.

“Vessels are not required to ask permission to travel through UK territorial waters for legitimate purposes.

“The vessel has appropriate safety certificates approved by the vessel’s flag state and is able to make its own way.

“A commercial tug contracted by the ship operators is standing by the vessel at anchor and when underway.

“HM Coastguard is in regular contact with the vessel and is monitoring its progress.”