And russian freighter sank in Mediterraneanbetween Spain y Algeriaand of its 16 crew members, two are missing and the rest were rescued.
He was later taken to the Spanish city of Cartagenareported on Tuesday Ministry of Foreign Affairs russian.
The ship “Ursa Major”, with 16 Russian crew members on board, sank after an explosion in the engine room.
At least 16 crew members were affected by the sinking of a Russian cargo ship
According to the company Oboronloguistikawhich depends on Russian Ministry of Defense but also carries out civil transport and logistics services, the freighter “Ursa Major” was heading towards Vladivostok.
Located in the Russian Far East, it transported port cranes and equipment for icebreakers.
The ship set sail on December 11 from the city of San Petersburgin northwest Russia, according to the MarineTraffic.com portal.
Spanish rescuers reported that «Ursa Major» issued a “wake-up call” on Monday morning while it was about 105 km off the coast of Almeria.
The Russian investigative committee announced the opening of an investigation for “violation of safety rules” of maritime transport, without giving further details.
As part of a rescue operation, the rescue ship “Draco” and the ship “Clara Campoamor” were sent to the area, as well as a helicopter.
«After locating the lifeboat, ‘Draco’ rescues the 14 people on board and takes them to Cartagena«. They were received by Cruz Roja.
According to the story of those rescued, the cargo included “empty containers in the hold and two cranes on deck,” they added.
A Russian warship later arrived in the area and took charge of rescue operations.
The Russian Defense Ministry indicated that the ship belongs to a subsidiary of Oboronologistika.
«Ursa Major» and its owner were subject to US sanctions in May 2022, after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
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Other details of the Russian freighter
According to the page web of the company, the company covers a route that connects Novorosiisk, in southern Russia on the Black Sea, to Tartus, the Russian naval base in Syria.
Ukrainian intelligence stated on Monday that “Russia began transporting some of its weapons and equipment by sea from the port of Tartus to Libya.”
There is uncertainty about the future of Russian bases in Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Moscow, in a rebel offensive.