A Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday night following an explosion in its engine room, according to Russian officials.
The Ursa Major, which had been traveling through the Mediterranean after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, sank south of Spain.
Russian authorities reported that 14 crew members were rescued and taken to a Spanish port, but two crew members remain missing.
The Ursa Major, the flagship vessel of Oboronlogistika—a shipping company operating under the Russian Defense Ministry—was carrying large cranes intended for port infrastructure development in Vladivostok, Russia. The company was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department in 2022.
Spanish maritime rescue services confirmed the sinking and alerted nearby ships to the possibility of wreckage.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency, GUR, claimed the vessel was heading to Syria to move military equipment and had encountered issues off the coast of Portugal before continuing its journey. A video shared on social media showed the Ursa Major listing heavily with cranes visible on the ship.
Earlier reports indicated that Russia had begun withdrawing military equipment from Syria, where it maintains a naval facility at Tartus.
The U.S. State Department noted that Oboronlogistika’s primary role is transporting military and special purpose goods for Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
