According to the state-owned operator of the ship, Oboronlogistika, a “terrorist attack” was directed against a Russian cargo ship that capsized in the Mediterranean Sea following an explosion. The statement by the company, owned by Russia’s defense ministry, Wednesday did not specify possible perpetrators or motivations.
The incident occurred on December 23, with two crew members missing and 14 others rescued and brought to Spain, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, direct owner and operator of the vessel, declined further comments. Both entities and Ursa Major have been sanctioned by the US since 2022, due to their ties to Russia’s military.
Video footage published on Russian news outlet Life.ru shows the vessel heavily tilted to its starboard side with the bow unusually low in the water. The footage was reportedly taken by a passing ship on the day of the incident.
Russian transport investigators opened an investigation into the blast, characterizing it as an “incident” and looking at possible maritime safety law violations, but no other information on what caused the blast was released.
According to survivors, it was transporting empty containers in its hold and two cranes on its deck, confirmed also by the Spanish rescue service. Earlier reports described Ursa Major as having sailed the Mediterranean with other four vessels of Russia, including three of them are warships, indicated by the independent Russian media, The Insider.
Last week, Oboronlogistika issued a statement in which it said that the ship’s task was to carry enormous equipment to Vladivostok, including cranes weighing 380 tonnes and hatch covers for icebreakers weighing 45 tonnes.
The sinking of the Ursa Major has caused so much attention due to the relations of its operator to the Russian defense ministry and being put on the international sanctions lists. And now questions persist as whether this accident occurred by intent or is just a regular case of maritime accident.
