Russian Cargo Ship Ursa Major Sinks After Engine Room Explosion; 14 Rescued, Two Missing

Dec 24, 2024, 09:58 AM

A Russian cargo ship named Ursa Major sank in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria after an explosion in its engine room, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The vessel, owned by Oboronlogistics and reportedly under U.S. sanctions since 2022 for transporting weapons to Syria, was en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok carrying two 45-ton hatches for a nuclear reactor of an icebreaker and two Liebherr port cranes. The ship had previously been used to evacuate strategic assets from Syria and had a history of transporting heavy military equipment, including being spotted at Russia's Tartus naval base in Syria. Fourteen of the sixteen crew members were rescued by Spanish authorities and brought to Spain, while two remain missing. Search operations for the missing sailors are ongoing.