The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank

The Ursa Major, a Russian cargo ship that had been adrift in the Western Mediterranean since yesterday morning, sank overnight. Fourteen crew members were rescued, while two remain missing.

The vessel was en route to Syria as part of a convoy of Russian naval units tasked with transporting equipment and personnel back to Russia amidst the ongoing withdrawal of Russian forces from the Middle Eastern country.

The exact circumstances leading to the sinking remain unclear, but reports suggest an explosion in the engine room immobilized the ship, which then began taking on water.

Российский грузовой корабль URSA MAJOR затонул вчера у берегов Алжира в Средиземном море из-за технической неисправности. 14 членов экипажа были спасены и доставлены в Испанию, еще двое пропали без вести. Судно направлялось из Санкт-Петербурга во Владивосток. На его борту, по… pic.twitter.com/aWGsc4hwNZ

— IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) December 24, 2024

Multiple Spanish SAR (Search and Rescue) units and at least one military vessel, the patrol vessel Serviola (P71), were dispatched to the scene to provide assistance.

Additionally, a Diamond D.62 aircraft (registration 9H-DGN, callsign OPSREY2) operating on behalf of Frontex flew over the site of the wreckage.

A Russian Navy vessel from the same convoy heading to Tartus requested to take over the rescue operation, citing the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) framework. Control of the rescue efforts was subsequently transferred to the Russian military ship.

While the cause of the explosion is still unknown, speculation has inevitably turned to Ukrainian intelligence services, who were the first to report the difficulties faced by the Russian vessel via Twitter.

UPDATE: Spanish NAVTEX confirming the sinking of the Russian ship Ursa Major at 23:22 UTC on December 23, 2024 (22:22 CET on December 24, 2024).