Russian ship sinks off Spanish coast after explosion
At least two crew members of a Russian cargo ship remain missing after it sank overnight following an explosion in the engine room, officials in Moscow said Tuesday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the vessel, the Ursa Major, went down in the Mediterranean between Spain and Algeria. The officials said 14 crew members were rescued by the Spanish coast guard and taken to the port of Cartagena, with a search continuing for the missing sailors.
“We are in constant contact with the Spanish authorities on this issue,” a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. “We continue to monitor the situation. We are ready to provide all possible assistance to the crew members if necessary.”
A Russian warship later arrived at the scene and took charge of rescue and recovery operations.
The cargo ship is owned by Oboronlogistika, a shipping company controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The company is under U.S. sanctions for its role in the war between Moscow and Ukraine.
On Dec. 20, Oboronlogistika said the Ursa Major, the company’s flagship, was transporting 380-ton cargo cranes from St. Petersburg for the expansion of a shipping terminal in Vladivostok in the Far East along with 45-ton hatch covers for newly constructed ice breaker ships.
The Ursa Major sank a day after another cargo ship owned by Oboronlogistika broke down off Portugal’s coast. The vessel, named Sparta, was being used to remove weapons and equipment from Russian bases in Syria, according to Ukrainian officials.
“The Russian crew was able to fix the problem and continued its movement through the Strait of Gibraltar,” Ukrainian military intelligence officials said on Telegram. “Meanwhile, the remnants of the Russian contingent in Syria have completed their withdrawal from remote areas and are located in only two places — at the air base in Khmeimim and the naval base in Tartus.”
Russia began evacuating its military bases in Syria following the swift collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government.
