Russia identifies cargo ship explosion off Spanish coast as 'terrorist'

The Oboronlogistika company said it "thinks that a targeted terrorist attack took place on December 23, 2024, targeting the Ursa Major constellation," in a statement cited by Russian news agencies on Wednesday.

The ship sank in international waters off Spain early Tuesday morning after sending out a distress signal on Monday.

The company, which is part of the Russian Defense Ministry , added that “three consecutive explosions” occurred on board the ship before it began to take on water. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s crisis unit said on Telegram on Tuesday that the ship sank “after an explosion in the engine room.”

The report added that of the 16 Russian crew members on board, 14 were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, while two remain missing.

The Spanish maritime rescue agency said in a statement that the ship sent a distress signal on Monday morning from off the southeastern coast of Spain in bad weather, reporting that the ship was listing and the crew had lowered lifeboats.

Spain sent helicopters and rescue boats to bring the survivors to port, the agency said. A Russian warship then took over the rescue operation as the ship was between Spanish and Algerian waters, and the Ursa Major sank during the night.

The Ursa Major was traveling from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East.

In 2022, the US imposed sanctions on Oboronlogistika and vessels including the Ursa Major for providing "transportation services... to deliver cargo to Russian-occupied Crimea".

Ukraine's GUR military intelligence service said the Ursa Major was also used to supply Russian troops in Syria, where Moscow has a naval base at Tartus.

Hoang Anh (according to TASS, TRT)