A Russian cargo ship, Ursa Major, sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight following an explosion that damaged its engine room, according to Tuesday’s statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry. Two crew members are still missing.
Oboronlogistika, a Russian Defence Ministry military construction company, controlled the 2009-built vessel, Ursa Major, and had previously stated that it was en route to Vladivostok with two massive port cranes on its deck.
The Foreign Ministry’s crisis center reported that they rescued 14 out of the 16 crew members and transported them to Spain, leaving two missing. They did not specify the cause of the explosion in the engine room.
Russia’s embassy in Spain told RIA that it was investigating the sinking and in contact with Spanish authorities.
In 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, a company that LSEG lists as part of the group, due to their affiliation with Russia’s military.
