A Russian cargo ship that sank on Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea was the target of an “act of terrorism”, according to the vessel’s owner.
The Ursa Major sank while it was sailing through international waters between Spain and Algeria, leaving two crew members missing,
Its owner, Oboronlogistika – a company affiliated with the Russian defence ministry – said on Wednesday that three explosions on the starboard side of the ship caused the sinking.
The firm described the incident as an “act of terrorism”, but did not specify who might be responsible for the apparent attack.
The 142-metre long Ursa Major was the largest ship operated by Oboronlogistika and had a cargo capacity of 1,200 tonnes. Both the ship and its owner were placed under sanctions by the US in 2022 for their ties to Russia’s military.
Spain’s sea rescue service said in a statement that the ship first sent a distress call on Monday morning when it was off the coast of south-eastern Spain in bad weather, reporting that the ship was listing and a lifeboat had been launched.
Moscow said 14 of the ship’s 16 crew members had been rescued and brought to Spain, but that two crew were still missing.
The ship was reportedly on its way to Vladivostok in the far east of Russia, carrying two cranes for the port weighing 380 tonnes each.
Russian officials have yet to comment on claims suggesting foul play in the ship’s sinking.
The Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said on Tuesday that Russia faced “systemic problems” in maintaining its fleet but gave no indication that Kyiv was involved in the incident.
Through a series of drone and rocket strikes, Ukraine has significantly weakened Moscow’s naval capabilities in the Black Sea, restricting its operations in the three-year-long war.
However, Kyiv has not targeted any Russian ships outside the Black Sea and any involvement in the Ursa Major sinking would mark a significant shift in tactics.
The demise of the Ursa Major came days after a Russian tanker carrying oil products sank in the Black Sea, causing an ecological disaster.
The Russian oil fleet has been heavily sanctioned by western nations since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
As a result, Moscow has resorted to using a so-called ghost fleet of tankers, which are often poorly maintained and unsuitable for open waters, to transport oil and circumvent sanctions.
