Wreck of a Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea, 2 crew members missing (video)

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Mayor sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria on the night of Tuesday, December 24.

According to the Spanish publication La Verdad, there were 16 sailors on board the Ursa Major, two of them were missing. By data Media, 14 sailors were delivered to the port of Cartagena.

According to the publication’s sources, at 12.30 on December 23, the ship went into a list after “an engine explosion occurred.” A Russian warship took control of the rescue operation, as well as several ships operating in the same area. They were later joined by a Spanish Navy patrol boat, writes CNN Greece.

The Ursa Major cargo ship, media suggest, could sail to Syria to evacuate Russian bases. Officially, he was traveling from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok and was supposed to arrive there on January 22, 2025. There, according to the Oboronlogistics company, which owns the cargo ship, it was supposed to deliver port cranes weighing 380 tons each and hatch covers for new icebreakers.

According to Oboronlogistics, the loading was carried out by the crew. The harbor cranes were loaded on board by two of the ship's own Ursa Major cranes; together they lift a load of up to 600 tons:

“To ensure the stability of the vessel when performing cargo operations with oversized cargo, containers were pre-loaded onto the lower deck as additional ballast.”

“Mediazona”, referring to OSINT analysts, wrote that the bulk carriers “Sparta” and “Ursa Mayor”, which entered the Mediterranean Sea accompanied by three military large landing ships, for a long time transported cargo from the “Syrian Express” – a route that was used to supply Russian troops in Syria. According to experts, all five ships could be intended for the evacuation of Russian military bases in Tartus and Khmeimim.

Today, the Spanish publication Español reported that the Ursa Mayor crashed in international waters between Aguilas (Murcia) and Oran (Algeria) on Monday, December 23, after an explosion in the engine room.