The Russian freighter Ursa Maior sank in the western Mediterranean

At 12.30 (local time) on December 23, 2024 it happened an explosion in the engine room of the Russian con-ro vessel Ursa Maior of the Oboronlogistika company, a company linked to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The explosion occurred while the ship was traveling in the western Mediterranean, between Spain and Algeria. Initial reports state that after the explosion, the ship slowed down, deviated from its course and began to list, before sinking. Three ships arrived on site: the Russian cargo ship Sparta, the rescue ship Clara Campoamor and the Spanish patrol vessel Serviola. Fourteen crew members were rescued and two are still missing.

The Ursa Maior (IMO 9538892), is a con-ro built in 2009 and 124.7 meters long, it had been under US sanctions since May 2024 and according to Ukrainian sources it was part of a mission to remove equipment from Russian military bases in Syria and would have been part of a convoy headed to the Syrian port of Tartus. The commander of the Ursa Mmaior reportedly stated that the containers on board were empty at the time of the accident.

However, there are still contradictions and obscure points on the matter, starting with ship's mission. In addition to the information from a Ukrainian source, another is circulating, according to which the Ursa Maior would have left twelve days earlier from St. Petersburg with destination the Russian port of Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, carrying two port cranes weighing 380 tons each, intended for the construction of a nuclear icebreaker.

They also circulate news about the Russian convoy, according to which five Russian ships (the Ursa Maior, the Sparta and three large landing ships) entered the Mediterranean from the Strait of Gibraltar headed towards Syria. The Ursa Maior and the Sparta have already participated in the supply of Russian bases in Syria, in the so-called Syrian Express service. In an official statement, Oboronlogistika said that the Usra Maior was carrying equipment for the “development of port infrastructure and the Northern Sea Route”.

The causes of the explosion are unknown aboard the Ursa Maior. Barring an attack or military attack, the vulnerability of Russian cargo ships to accidents still emerges, because sanctions could limit Russia's ability to maintain and repair its ships, increasing the risk of breakdowns and accidents. Just a few days before this accident, on December 15, two Russian oil tankers suffered serious accidents in the Black Sea. The Volgoneft-212 broke in two and sank, causing the death of one crew member and the Volgoneft-239 suffered damage and drifted until it ran aground near the port of Taman. Both ships were part of the “shadow fleet,” which transports sanctioned oil.