Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sinks in Mediterranean Sea after explosion on board. PHOTO
On 23 December, the Russian cargo ship "Ursa Major" sank off the coast of Spain after an explosion. Two of the sixteen sailors went missing.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by The Maritime Executive.
It is noted that the vessel was transporting two 45-tonne hatches for the nuclear reactor of a nuclear icebreaker and two Liebherr port cranes from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.
On 20 December, "Oboronlogistika" Group announced that the flagship of its fleet, "Ursa Major", had set sail to deliver port cranes to Vladivostok.
But unexpectedly, Oboronlogistica's largest vessel ended up in the Mediterranean.
It is reported that 14 rescued crew members of the "Ursa Major" have been taken to Cartagena. Two are still missing.
In 2023, Ursa Major underwent scheduled repairs. In the summer of 2024, the vessel underwent scheduled maintenance at the dock, and in November, preventive maintenance of crane equipment.
Due to the sanctions, Oboronologistics used "analogue spare parts" from Russian manufacturers to repair the ship as part of the import substitution programme.
The day before, it became known that the Russian cargo ship "Sparta", which is transporting weapons and equipment from Syria, broke down on the high seas.