Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean

Russian cargo ship Ursa Major has sunk in international waters between Spain and Algeria after an explosion in the engine area.

El Espanol newspaper reported on December 24 that an explosion occurred in the engine area of ​​the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major on December 23, causing the ship to sink in the Mediterranean Sea in the early morning of December 24.

The Ursa Major transits the Bosphorus Strait in Türkiye in 2023.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the sinking and said 14 crew members were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, while two others were missing, according to Reuters.

The Ursa Major, built in 2009, departed Saint Petersburg two weeks ago for the city of Vladivostok in Russia's Far East. Its scheduled arrival date was January 22, 2025.

The area where the ship sank was in the Mediterranean Sea between the Spanish city of Aguilas and Oran, Algeria. The ship's captain said the ship was carrying only empty containers.

Russian news site Mediazona cited open-source intelligence analysts as saying that five Russian cargo ships owned by the Oboronlogistika company recently entered the Mediterranean, including the Ursa Major and Sparta. The two ships have long been involved in transporting supplies for Russian forces in Syria along the so-called Syrian Highway. Analysts believe that all five ships were tasked with removing equipment from two Russian military bases in Syria.

Oboronlogistika said in a statement on December 20 that the Ursa Major was on its way to the Far East, carrying cargo for a major state project to develop port infrastructure and the Northern Sea Route. According to the statement, the ship was carrying 380-ton cranes each for the expansion of the port in Vladivostok and 45-ton hatch covers for new icebreakers.

Ukrainian intelligence reported on December 23 that the Russian cargo ship Sparta, which was carrying equipment from Syria, had broken down near Portugal, according to Ukrainska Pravda .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tau-hang-nga-chim-tai-dia-trung-hai-185241224145826176.htm