A Russian cargo ship, Ursa Main, has sunk within the Mediterranean between Spain and Algeria after an explosion within the engine room, Russia’s international ministry has confirmed.
It stated 14 members of the crew had been rescued and brought to the Spanish port of Cartagena however that two others have been lacking.
Ursa Main left port in St Petersburg 12 days in the past, based on Russian information company Interfax.
The ship’s proprietor stated it was on its approach to Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East carrying two cranes for the port weighing 380 tonnes apiece, though the vacation spot couldn’t be confirmed independently.
Earlier than Ursa Main sank, Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo maritime rescue company stated 14 individuals have been discovered on a lifeboat and brought safely to Spain and a Russian warship then arrived within the space to take cost of the rescue operation.
Ursa Main was in the identical space of the Med as one other sanctioned Russian ship, Sparta, when it bumped into bother and the 2 ships had been noticed heading by way of the English Channel final week, reportedly below escort.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian navy intelligence (HUR) reported that the Sparta was heading to Russia’s naval base on the Syrian coast at Tartous to maneuver navy gear out of Syria after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad.
A Kremlin official stated on Monday that Russia was in touch with Syria’s new rulers on the way forward for its two navy services. at each diplomatic and navy stage.
Ursa Main’s proprietor Oboronlogistika has been closely concerned in transporting cargo to Tartous, though Sparta’s reported vacation spot on Tuesday was Port Mentioned in Egypt.
Marine transport monitoring web site LSEG instructed the BBC that Ursa Main’s automated ID system (AIS) confirmed that its vacation spot since 11 December had been Vladivostok, though on a earlier voyage in September its vacation spot had come up as Tartous.
On Monday, the HUR reported that the Sparta had damaged down off Portugal, however the issue had been fastened. Ursa Main was often known as Sparta III, so it was not clear which ship it was referring to.
It isn’t identified what brought on the explosion on Ursa Main because it handed between Oran in Algeria and the Spanish city of Águilas.
Nevertheless, video filmed from the tanker Ross Sea between 12:00-13:00GMT on Monday, and verified by the BBC, confirmed the ship itemizing badly.
It will definitely sank at about 01:20GMT on Tuesday.
Ursa Main was in-built 2009 and positioned below sanction after Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022 due to the ship proprietor’s function in delivering cargo to the Russian navy.
Oboronlogistika stated the cargo ship, which it described because the flagship of its fleet, was carrying 45-tonne hatch covers for icebreakers, in addition to the big cranes for the port in Vladivostok.
