Russian Cargo Ship Ursa Major Sinks in Mediterranean After Explosion, Two Crew Members Missing

 The Russian cargo vessel Ursa Major tragically sank in the Mediterranean Sea, between the coasts of Spain and Algeria, following a catastrophic explosion in its engine room, as confirmed by Russia's foreign ministry.

The vessel, which had departed from St. Petersburg twelve days earlier, was en route to Vladivostok, Russia’s eastern port city. While 14 crew members were safely rescued and brought to the Spanish port of Cartagena, two others remain unaccounted for.

Ursa Major was carrying heavy port cranes, each weighing 380 tonnes, though the final destination of the ship remains unverified. Before the ship sank, Spain's Salvamento Marítimo rescue agency reported that the 14 survivors had been discovered aboard a lifeboat, and were transported to safety. A Russian warship then arrived at the scene to oversee the continuing rescue efforts.

This incident occurred in the same Mediterranean area as another Russian-flagged vessel, Sparta, which has also been the subject of international scrutiny. Both ships had been spotted traversing the English Channel last week under apparent military escort. Earlier reports from Ukrainian military intelligence had indicated that Sparta was heading to the Russian naval base at Tartous, Syria, to evacuate military equipment following the weakening of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Russian officials confirmed that communications were ongoing with Syria’s new government regarding the future of Russia’s military outposts in the country.

The ship’s operator, Oboronlogistika, has a long history of transporting military-related cargo to Tartous. Despite reports from marine tracking services showing Ursa Major’s destination as Vladivostok, its previous voyages suggest it may have had stops in Tartous in the past, further fueling speculation about its role in military logistics.

The cause of the explosion aboard Ursa Major, which occurred while the ship was between Oran (Algeria) and Águilas (Spain), remains a mystery. However, a video recorded by the tanker Ross Sea between 12:00-13:00 GMT on Monday, and verified by the BBC, showed the ship listing dramatically before it eventually sank at 01:20 GMT on Tuesday morning.

Built in 2009, Ursa Major had been placed under international sanctions following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, due to its ties with military cargo transport. The ship, described as the flagship of Oboronlogistika’s fleet, was transporting substantial cargo, including 45-tonne hatch covers for icebreakers, in addition to the aforementioned port cranes for Vladivostok.