A Russian cargo vessel designated as Ursa Major has succumbed to sinking in the Mediterranean Sea.
The incident that transpired overnight is reported to have occurred subsequent to an explosion that devastated the engine compartment of the cargo vessel.
The Russian Foreign Ministry articulated on Tuesday, subsequent to the occurrence, that two members of its crew remain unaccounted for.
The ship, constructed in 2009, was under the management of Oboronlogistika, a corporation affiliated with the military construction initiatives of the Russian Defence Ministry.
It had been previously announced that the vessel was in transit to the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok, transporting two substantial port cranes securely fastened to its deck.
According to a statement issued by the crisis center of the Foreign Ministry, 14 out of the 16 crew members aboard the vessel had been successfully rescued and transported to Spain, while two individuals remain unaccounted for. The statement did not clarify the factors that led to the explosion in the engine room.
The embassy of Russia in Spain was referenced by the state RIA news agency, indicating that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the sinking and is in communication with Spanish authorities.
Both Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, a company identified by LSEG as part of the group and the direct owner and operator of the vessel, refrained from commenting on the incident of the sinking.
Both entities were subjected to sanctions by the United States in 2022 due to their affiliations with the Russian military, as was the vessel Ursa Major itself.
