Russian cargo ship’s owner says sinking in Mediterranean was ‘act of terrorism’
Russian cargo ship’s owner says sinking in Mediterranean was ‘act of terrorism’
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Three explosions caused Ursa Major to sink off Spanish coast, says company linked to Russian defence ministry. 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.
