Russian ship possibly heading to Syria for base evacuation sinks off Spanish coast

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between the Spanish city of Águilas and Algeria’s Oran after an onboard explosion.

Source: Spanish media outlet La Verdad, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Spanish maritime rescue service transported 14 crew members to the port of Cartagena, but two remain missing. 

According to La Verdad sources, an explosion occurred aboard the vessel around 12:30 on Monday, 23 December, causing it to list. The area was subsequently marked as hazardous for shipping until a Russian military ship arrived to oversee rescue efforts.

Several fishing vessels operating in the vicinity initially assisted in the rescue, joined later by specialists from Spain's maritime rescue service.

Officially, the Ursa Major was in transit from Russia’s Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok. It set sail on 11 December and was scheduled to arrive on 22 January. 

The ship’s captain claimed it was carrying empty containers at the time of the accident.

However, Russian outlet Mediazona, citing OSINT analysts, reported that five Russian cargo ships, including three large military landing ships and two cargo vessels owned by Oboronlogistika, had recently entered the Mediterranean. 

Both the Ursa Major and the Sparta had long been involved in the so-called "Syrian Express", a supply route for Russian forces in Syria.

Analysts assumed that all five ships were tasked with evacuating Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim, Syria.

In a press release from the company Oboronlogistika, it was stated that the ship Ursa Major "embarked on another voyage to the Far East carrying a significant project cargo as part of state tasks aimed at developing port infrastructure and the Northern Sea Route". According to the information, the vessel was allegedly transporting port cranes weighing 380 tonnes each, intended for the expansion of a terminal in Vladivostok, as well as 45-tonne hatch covers for new icebreakers.

Background: 

• On 23 December, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported that a cargo vessel, Sparta, sent by Russia to evacuate its military equipment and weaponry from Syria, had broken down on the way in open waters near Portugal.
• The EU previously stated its intention to raise the issue of the Russian military presence in Syria during talks with the country’s new leadership.

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