The vessel MV Ruby’s strange movement patterns raise suspicions of Russian hybrid warfare.
A method that has become more extreme.
– NATO needs to increase its awareness, member states should not handle this themselves, says the Danish security expert Jacob Kaarsbo.
The damaged ship – with cargo from Russia – has caused concern in the Nordics when she at the beginning of September ran aground and sought emergency harbor in Tromsö in Northern Norway.
– It could be part of what we call hybrid warfare, says the Danish security expert Jacob Kaarsbo.
The MV Ruby is carrying 20,000 tons of the dangerous substance ammonium nitrate – the same substance that caused a giant explosion in a warehouse in Beirut four years ago.
Suspicious pattern- sails strangely
The suspicions of hybrid warfare are mainly due to the strange movement pattern the ship has – past both the military base in Tromsö and large oil and gas facilities in Bergen.
– I don’t necessarily think that the risk is high that the Russians would detonate this “giant bomb”. Rather, they are trying to map the reactions: “What do the authorities do when we drive around with a potential giant bomb near critical infrastructure, large cities and military installations?”, says Jacob Kaarsbo.
Need help from NATO
In order to avoid a similar scenario in Denmark, where the ship is now located, Danish authorities have requested a pilot from her.
– It is to avoid the ship sailing crosswise. Because it seems that Ruby is either not seaworthy or it is a course that the captain deliberately chooses, says Jacob Kaarsbo.
Could it be that the ship just has incompetent owners?
– It is of course possible. But it’s still the case that when you sail in a strange way like this, it doesn’t just seem to be a matter of not having control over the course, he says.
In the past year, hybrid warfare methods have become more extreme, with Russia pushing more over the border, says Jacob Kaarsbo.
– It is very important that the Nordic countries cooperate closely in this situation and I also believe that NATO needs to increase its awareness of hybrid warfare, because individual member states should not handle this by themselves, he says.