[An explosion sank a Russian cargo ship, Ursa Major, in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday night, with two crew members missing. The ship, owned by Oboronlogistika, was traveling from Spain to Russia’s far east when it suffered a blast in the engine room, causing it to sink. Fourteen crew members were rescued and taken to a Spanish port, but two were unaccounted for.
The Ursa Major was a sanctioned vessel, having been targeted by the US State Department in 2022. Oboronlogistika’s main objective is to provide transportation and storage services to the Russian Ministry of Defense related to military and special-purpose goods.
The vessel was carrying two large cranes to develop port infrastructure in Vladivostok, but Ukrainian intelligence claimed it was actually headed to Syria, where Russia still maintains a port facility at Tartus. The ship’s cargo is believed to include weapons and equipment.
The US State Department has claimed that Oboronlogistika’s main objective is to ensure the needs of the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding transportation, storage, and production of military and special-purpose goods. This incident comes after reports of Russia withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria.
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