Russian ship sinks after explosion amid ‘military mission to Syria’

A sanctioned Russian ship with a mystery cargo has sunk in the Mediterranean after an on board explosion. Fourteen crew members were reported to have been rescued, while two are still said to be missing. Ukrainian military intelligence and Spanish sources suggested the Ursa Major was heading to Syria to transport Russian military equipment which is being pulled from the country following the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Russian sources claim that it was heading to Vladivostok, carrying huge cranes weighing 380 tons each, intended for the construction of a modern nuclear icebreaker, described as a key ‘state task’. ‘To ensure the stability of the vessel when performing cargo operations with oversized cargo, containers were loaded onto the lower deck in advance as additional ballast [in a] complex cargo handling operation,’ an official statement read. Both versions may be true – and it may have been due to call at Tartus in Syria, a Russian naval base under the Assad regime, to collect cargo bound for naval port Vladivostok.

The 466ft Ursa Major sank in international waters between Spain and Algeria on Monday, just after midday. Footage showed how the vessel ‘began listing’ – or tilting to one side – after ‘its engines exploded’ in the Strait of Gibraltar. The area of the wreck was declared dangerous for shipping until the arrival of ‘a Russian military vessel that took charge of the rescue operations’, according to Spanish news outlet La Verdad. Later, a Spanish Navy patrol boat joined them. The vessel has previously frequently carried weapons for Russia’s military machine and is owned by Oboronlogistics, part of the Russian defence ministry. The U.S. Treasury included the vessel as part of Ukraine-related sanctions in May 2022, Maritime Executive reports.

It has a gross tonnage of 12,679 and a deadweight tonnage of 9,490. The rescued crew members – seen on video – were taken to the Spanish city of Cartagena. The Russian foreign ministry acknowledged the sinking of the vessel today. The ship went down after an explosion in its engine room and 14 of its 16 crew members have been rescued and brought to Spain, the ministry said in a statement.

A second cargo vessel – Sparta, and visually similar to Ursa Major – was drifting off the coast of Portugal after suffering a technical problem. Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR said: ‘The cargo ship Sparta, which Russia sent to transport its weapons and equipment from Syria, broke down during movement. A fuel pipe of the main engine failed. The Russian crew is trying to fix the problem and (the ship) is drifting in the open sea near Portugal.’

Sparta reportedly continued her eastbound journey at a low speed, declaring her destination as Port Said in Egypt. The latest disaster follows Putin losing multiple naval vessels in the Black Sea after attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles. Earlier this month an oil tanker broke up in the Kerch Strait and another suffered a serious spill, causing catastrophic pollution in the Black Sea. It also comes as Russian forces reportedly withdraw from their strategic positions in Syria following the lightning rebel offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

Images captured by satellite observation companies Maxar and Planet Labs days after the fall of Damascus, on December 8, showed an increase in ground vehicles at the Khmeimim air base, where Russia was permanently storing air defence systems, warplanes, and other military equipment. Imagery showed the apparent disassembly of the Russian air defences and the arrival of several large transport aircraft, believed to indicate forces gathering to depart in the wake of the rebel takeover of the country.

Russia was one of Assad’s main backers throughout the Syrian Civil War, providing troops and vital air support from 2015 to push back advancing rebels and shore up support for the Ba’athist dictator. But the fate of the country in Syria remains in the air. Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s deputy foreign affairs minister, assured earlier this week that they were having ‘constructive’ talks with the main rebel group. Well-placed sources told Bloomberg that talks are already underway to ensure Russian forces can remain at the naval port in Tartus – Russia’s only Mediterranean port – and the Khmeimim air base, although the volatile situation could still throw Moscow’s plans off course.

Satellite imagery nonetheless showed that Russia has, at least for now, abandoned its naval base in Tartus since the fall of Damascus. Five warships were pictured in the port before the fall but had left by December 9. Russia will hope to regain control of the Tartus naval facility, which houses elements of its Black Sea Fleet. It is also Russia’s only repair and replenishment hub in the Mediterranean, and received significant investment and upgrades in 2012.

The hub allows Russian ships to stay in the Mediterranean without having to return to Black Sea ports via the Bosporus. Passing the strait relies on Turkey’s goodwill, and Russia has reportedly already asked Turkey for help in withdrawing its troops from Syria. GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence service, claims that Russia has also been airlifting military personnel and equipment back home.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.