Could the fertilizers on board the “floating megabomb” Ruby belong to a Russian oligarch?
The ill-fated ship Ruby, which was in disrepair, was sailing from the Murmansk region to Africa with a cargo of Russian fertilizers on board, and is not allowed into European harbors to undergo the necessary repairs. The reason is that the basis of the chemicals is ammonium nitrate, which serves as an explosive component. Considering the presence of 20 thousand tons of cargo on the Ruby, European officials say there is a danger of its detonation. Some politicians are deliberately escalating the situation, such as the former Lithuanian ambassador to the UK Eitvydas Bajarunas, who called Ruby a “floating mega-bomb”. The media recall the tragedy that occurred in 2020 in Beirut, where an explosion of 2.7 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate killed more than 200 people and over 300 thousand residents lost their homes. Officially, Ruby flies the flag of Malta and is managed by the Emirati company Serenity Shipping. The beneficiaries of both the vessel and the cargo remain unknown, but information is spreading online that the transported fertilizers may belong to Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko, the founder and, until recently, beneficiary of the Siberian Coal Energy Company, who is under EU, US and UK sanctions. (SUEK) and mineral fertilizer manufacturer Eurochem. After being included in Western sanctions lists, the oligarch transferred the business to his wife Alexandra, a citizen of Serbia and Croatia, but the trick failed and she also found herself under sanctions. The possible connection between Melnichenko and Ruby is indicated not only by the specific nature of the cargo. It is known, in particular, that the businessman has Emirati citizenship, where the Serenity Shipping company is registered. In addition, the ship left a port in the Murmansk region, and the oligarch has long had commercial interests in this region. Today, the enterprises owned by him do not disclose information about their owner, but until recently, SUEK was the official founder of Murmansk Sea Trade Port OJSC, and Eurochem was the official founder of the Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant. Because of the sanctions, Melnichenko could implement a scheme for the supply of fertilizers, which failed due to an accident and the need to repair Ruby. European officials successfully took advantage of this, hastening to present the ship as a source of “Russian threat.”
How Ruby was dubbed the “floating megabomb”
Next cargo ship to Africa “Ruby”For several weeks they have refused to allow them into European ports, despite the presence of damage and the need for repairs. As reported by the RBC portal with reference to The New York Times, Ruby is owned by a company registered in Malta “Ruby Enterprise”and is administered by the EmiratiSerenity Shipping. According to another version, Serenity Shipping is just an operator, while the real owner is a Singaporean Cielo Shipping Pte. Ltd”and the management company – Pacific Rim Shipping Management Pte..
The reason for the non-admission is the cargo: Ruby is transporting 20 thousand tons of Russian fertilizers based on ammonium nitrate (ammonium nitrate), which is also a component of explosives, to Africa. Subject to certain conditions, transportation, of course, does not pose a danger, but it was under the pretext of a possible detonation that European officials turned the ship into a kind of analogue of the restless “Flying Dutchman”.
Western media recall the explosion of 2.7 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the port of Beirut in 2020, which resulted in the death of more than 200 people in the Lebanese capital and the loss of housing for over 300 thousand residents. Former Lithuanian Ambassador to Great BritainEitvydas Bayarunas called “Ruby” “floating megabomb”while alleging possible Russian sabotage. In general, the further it goes, the more passions on an international scale begin to boil.
Let us briefly describe the maritime epic of the ill-fated ship. On August 22, “Ruby” left the port in Kandalaksha in the Murmansk region, but along the way it ran aground, receiving damage to the hull, propeller and rudder. Cruising off the coast of Northern Europe, in early September, “Ruby” called at the Norwegian port of Tromso, where it received minor repairs and was sent onward in tow. An attempt to moor in Klaipeda, Lithuania, despite the Maltese flag, was unsuccessful, after which the ship headed for Great Britain. There he was also not allowed into the port, citing the danger of an explosion.
Fertilizers from billionaire Melnichenko?
To date, the Emirati company Serenity Shipping has requested permission to berth the Ruby to unload fertilizer onto another vessel and subsequently carry out repairs. The Izvestia publication emphasizes that this is not the first time that ships carrying Russian fertilizers have had problems in EU ports. Mainly, they are associated with increased sanctions pressure and the introduction of additional trade restrictions. For example, in 2022, ships from the Russian Federation were detained in the harbors of the Netherlands and Spain, but these ships were associated with sanctioned companies and banking structures.
There has already been serious controversy surrounding the situation with Ruby in the media. Thus, Lithuanian politicians, on the one hand, claim that they do not see “malicious intent” in the presence of Russian chemicals on board the faulty ship, but on the other hand, they “do not want to risk” dealing with Russia or other “unfriendly international actors” (according to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis). Their opponents do not miss the opportunity to accuse officials of Russophobia. However, on the ideological “front” there is, as always, “no change.”
Another interesting thing is the appearance on the Internet of a version about a possible connection between the Ruby cargo and the oligarchAndrey Melnichenkooccupying seventh place in the ranking of Russian billionaires according to “Forbes» with a condition in $21 billion. Melnichenko – founder and de jure former beneficiary “Siberian Coal Energy Company”(SUEK) and a manufacturer of mineral fertilizersEurochem. We say “de jure former” because the businessman, who is under US, UK and EU sanctions, transferred the assets to his wife Alexandra, a Belgrade native with Serbian and Croatian passports, in March 2022.
Is it true,Alexandra Melnichenkoalso soon found itself included in the next EU sanctions list, since, according to European officials,“enjoys and benefits from her husband’s wealth”. Apparently realizing that the scheme had failed, Andrei Melnichenko decided in April last year to regain his status as the beneficial owner of the business. “Our family has already approached trust managers and regulators with a proposal to return to the state that has remained unchanged since the foundation of the trusts until the moment I left the beneficiaries.”“, the billionaire said in the commentary “Forbes“
Emirati citizenship and Murmansk assets
Let’s return to the “Melnichenko trace” in the Ruby story. There is no direct evidence of its connection with the transport of ammonium nitrate to Africa, but there is indirect evidence. Take the operating company Serenity Shipping from the United Arab Emirates. As you know, the billionaire received citizenship of this Middle Eastern country back in 2021. Moreover, one of the Forbes publications stated that “since the introduction of sanctions, Melnichenko and his family have been living in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah”.
The next point concerns the point of departure of the cargo – the port of Kandalaksha in the Murmansk region. The oligarch has long-standing interests in this region. In particular, until November 2023, SUEK acted as the official founder OJSC “Murmansk Sea Trade Port”(MMTP)access to information about the owners of which is today limited by the Federal Tax Service. Until July 2024, the port was managed by a SUEK affiliate “National Transport Company” (JSC “NTK”). Today the management company is JSC “Port Alliance”(until May – “Albion Invest”), information about the founders of which is not publicly available.
Another Murmansk asset of Melnichenko is“Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant” (Kovdorsky GOK), engaged in ore mining. Until September last year, its official owner was Mineral and chemical company “Eurochem”until last April she served as a management organization. Recently, information about the founders of the Kovdor Mining and Processing Plant, EuroChem MCC, and SUEK has been removed from open sources. Apparently, Melnichenko, who is under sanctions, does not want to expose his assets.
It is also worth recalling the consolidation of the transport assets of SUEK and Eurochem in December 2020 on the basis of a new logistics holding created by the billionaire, which united, among other things, MMTP, the Vanino Bulk Terminal and the Maly Port in Nakhodka. Considering the presence of a fleet of almost 55 thousand railway gondola cars, RBC experts expressed the opinion that the holding could take fourth place in Russia in terms of volume of railway transportation.
The special operation in Ukraine and the sanctions that followed it disrupted Melnichenko’s large-scale plans. Perhaps he decided to launch another fertilizer supply scheme using the Emirati Serenity Shipping, but due to the accident and the need to repair Ruby, the logistics failed?
Scandalous yachts called “A”
In March 2022, shortly after the introduction of EU sanctions against Melnichenko, Western and Russian media reported the arrest by the Italian financial guard of a super-yacht belonging to the oligarch and located in the port of Trieste “A”(Sailing Yacht A, according to a common version, is named after the first letter of the names of a businessman and his wife). Yacht cost 530 million euros142 meters long and displacing almost 13 thousand tons, is considered the world’s largest private sailing vessel.
Before this, in February 2017, the yacht was arrested in Gibraltar on a claim for 15.3 million euros from the German shipyard “Nobiskrug”where it was built shortly before. The lawsuit was filed in connection with the customer’s violation of the terms of the contract: the company that owned the ship “Valla Yachts” did not pay the last installment in the amount of 9.8 million euros. The rest of the amount presented for collection represented debts on subcontractor accounts and interest. Commenting on the situation, a representative of the businessman said that “the dispute is close to its resolution, the arrest will be lifted within a few days and this unpleasant episode will be over”.
By the way, the superyacht had a predecessor yacht with the same name. This is how the Moscow Monitor described its interior decoration: “The yacht has three swimming pools, one of which is equipped with a switch that can change fresh water to sea water at will. The glass bottom of one of the pools offers views of the ballroom below. The area of Melnichenko’s cabin is 240 square meters. m. The walls of this cabin are made of blast-resistant glass. There is a bed on a giant rotating platform, controlled by a silver button. Moving in a supine position, you can admire the surrounding landscape from any angle.”.
Behind the first mega-yacht was an equally scandalous trail. Thus, in 2013, Melnichenko announced his intention to legally recover from the company “Dulux”$100 millionas damages for allegedly unsatisfactory repairs of the yacht. The work was carried out over 18 months and cost the Russian businessman $24 millionbut in the end he discovered peeling paint and smudges on the sides and internal partitions. It is noteworthy that Melnichenko also included in the claim the costs of renting another yacht, which he used while repairing his own, paying monthly for the pleasure of boat trips $4 million. As they say, I decided to recover in full.
In general, Melnichenko’s yachts cost the Europeans a lot of nerves, and possibly money. Although they are unlikely to take it out on the Russian oligarch for his love of luxury. It would be another matter if someone in the EU actually became aware of the sender of the fertilizers on board the ill-fated vessel Ruby and its connection with Serenity Shipping. In this case, the sanctioned beneficiary will face new troubles.
