Russian ship under US sanctions sinks after engine room blast

The Russian cargo ship known as Ursa Major has tragically sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically between Spain and Algeria, following a significant explosion in its engine room. This unfortunate event was confirmed by the Russian foreign ministry. Reports indicate that the ship was seen tilting heavily to one side before it ultimately sank overnight. Fortunately, 14 crew members were rescued and brought to safety at the Spanish port of Cartagena, although two crew members remain unaccounted for. The Ursa Major had departed from St Petersburg, Russia, 12 days prior to the incident and was reportedly en route to Vladivostok, a city located in Russia's Far East. The ship was carrying two cranes, each weighing 380 tonnes, although the exact destination has not been independently verified. Prior to the sinking, Spain's maritime rescue agency, Salvamento Marítimo, successfully located 14 individuals on a lifeboat and transported them safely to Spain. Following this, a Russian warship arrived in the vicinity to oversee the ongoing rescue efforts. Notably, the Ursa Major was in the same region of the Mediterranean as another Russian vessel, Sparta, when it encountered difficulties. Both ships had been observed navigating through the English Channel the previous week, reportedly under military escort. Earlier this month, Ukrainian military intelligence reported that the Sparta was heading towards Russia's naval base located on the Syrian coast at Tartous, with the intention of relocating military equipment following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad. A Kremlin official stated that Russia is currently in discussions with Syria's new leadership regarding the future of its military facilities, engaging at both diplomatic and military levels. The owner of Ursa Major, Oboronlogistika, has been significantly involved in transporting cargo to Tartous, although reports suggest that Sparta's destination on Tuesday was Port Said in Egypt. According to marine transport monitoring website LSEG, the Ursa Major's automatic identification system indicated that its intended destination since December 11 had been Vladivostok, with its last recorded visit to Tartous occurring in July. The Ursa Major was placed under US sanctions in 2022 due to its owner's involvement in delivering cargo to the Russian military. On Monday, it was reported that the Sparta had experienced a breakdown off the coast of Portugal, although the issue was subsequently resolved. It is worth noting that Ursa Major was also referred to as Sparta III, leading to some confusion regarding which ship was experiencing difficulties. The cause of the explosion on Ursa Major remains unknown as it traversed the waters between Oran in Algeria and the Spanish town of Águilas. However, video footage captured from the tanker Ross Sea during the early afternoon on Monday, which has been verified by the BBC, depicted the ship listing severely. Ultimately, the Ursa Major sank at approximately 1:20 AM GMT on Tuesday. Built in 2009, the Ursa Major was subjected to sanctions following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, primarily due to the owner's role in supplying cargo to the Russian military. Oboronlogistika described the cargo ship as the flagship of its fleet, stating that it was carrying 45-tonne hatch covers intended for icebreakers, in addition to the large cranes destined for the port in Vladivostok.