Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in the Mediterranean Sea

The photo was taken by @Phimex.

On December 23, the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major (IMO: 9538892) sank in the Mediterranean Sea following an explosion in its engine room, according to Reuters. Two of the ship’s crew members remain missing, confirmed Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, December 24.

The 9,490 DWT vessel was operated by Oboronlogistika, a company involved in the Russian Ministry of Defence's military construction operations. The company had previously reported that the ship was en route to the Russian Far Eastern port of Vladivostok, carrying two massive port cranes secured to its deck.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry's crisis center confirmed that 14 of the vessel’s 16 crew members had been rescued and brought to Spain, with the remaining two still missing. The statement did not provide details on the cause of the explosion in the engine room.

The state-run RIA news agency quoted the Russian embassy in Spain, stating that they were in contact with Spanish authorities and investigating the circumstances surrounding the sinking. Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, identified by LSEG as part of the group and the ship's direct owner and operator, declined to comment on the incident.

Both companies were sanctioned by the US in 2022 due to their ties to the Russian military. The same applies to the 142-meter-long vessel Ursa Major.

Unverified video footage filmed on December 23 by a passing ship, showed the vessel heavily listing to its starboard side with its bow much lower in the water than usual. The footage was published on Russia’s life.ru news outlet on Tuesday, December 24.

Spain’s Maritime Rescue Service reported receiving a distress signal from the Ursa Major on Monday, December 23. The ship was located about 57 miles off the coast of Almería. The rescue service reported contacting a nearby vessel, which noted poor weather conditions, a lifeboat in the water, and that the Ursa Major was listing to its starboard side.

Two vessels and a helicopter were sent to the scene, and the 14 surviving crew members were taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena.

The crew stated that the Ursa Major was transporting empty containers, in addition to the two port cranes secured on deck. The statement also mentioned that a Russian warship later arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue operations.