The Ursa Major, a 142-meter-long russian ship owned by the state-owned Oboronlogistics company, sank approximately 62 nautical miles off the coast of Murcia, Spain, on December 23, 2024. The vessel was en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok when the incident occurred around midnight.
Initial reports, citing The Guardian, detail a rapid response from the Spanish maritime search and rescue service, Sasemar. Following observations of the ursa ship’s unusual behavior – a significant slowdown, a pronounced list, and the departure of its crew – Sasemar dispatched a helicopter, a fast rescue boat, and a tugboat. Crew members informed rescuers of three explosions originating in the ship’s engine room.
Spanish rescue efforts were underway when the russian ship itself arrived on the scene at 8:07 PM local time. This arrival effectively halted the Spanish operation, marking a shift in control and complicating the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the ursa’s sinking. The cause of the explosions remains under investigation.
Topics: #russian #ship #ursa
This is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the potential implications for regional security.
What was the cause of the sinking of the Ursa Major?