A Russian cargo ship named Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight following an explosion in its engine room. The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that two crew members are still missing. The vessel, built in 2009, was owned by Oboronlogistika, a company affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry’s military construction sector. It was en route to Vladivostok, Russia, carrying two large port cranes.
The Foreign Ministry’s crisis center stated that 14 of the 16 crew members were rescued and brought to Spain, with the remaining two still unaccounted for. The cause of the explosion remains unknown. Russia’s embassy in Spain is investigating the incident in cooperation with Spanish authorities.
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Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, the direct owner and operator of the ship, have declined to comment. Both companies and the Ursa Major were sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for their connections to Russia’s military.
Unverified footage from Dec. 23 showed the ship severely listing to one side, with its bow submerged lower than usual. Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service received a distress signal from the Ursa Major on Monday, approximately 57 miles off Almería’s coast. They contacted a nearby ship, which reported rough weather, a lifeboat in the water, and the vessel listing to one side. Rescue teams, including two vessels and a helicopter, were dispatched, and the 14 survivors were taken to Cartagena, Spain. The crew indicated that the ship was carrying empty containers in addition to the two port cranes.
Later, a Russian warship arrived at the scene to take over the rescue operation. Oboronlogistika confirmed on Dec. 20 that the Ursa Major, previously named Sparta III, was transporting specialized cranes for Vladivostok’s port as well as parts for new icebreakers.
Ship tracking data shows the Ursa Major departed St. Petersburg on Dec. 11, with its next stop scheduled for Vladivostok. Its last signal was sent on Dec. 23 near the coast of Algeria and Spain before it sank.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence service reported that another Russian cargo ship, Sparta, encountered technical issues off the coast of Portugal. The crew managed to fix the problem, and the ship resumed its journey to Syria to collect military supplies.
