"Nefarious goods"

Missing after explosion on Russian freighter

The ship is said to be part of the so-called shadow fleet that Russia maintains for its oil and gas supplies in order to circumvent sanctions.

(Bild: Leonid – stock.adobe.com, x.com/KyivInsider)

Two sailors are missing following the sinking of a Russian freighter off the Spanish Mediterranean coast. 14 members of the 16-strong crew of the ship "Ursa Major" were rescued on Monday evening around 40 nautical miles off Cartagena.

The Russian cargo ship "Ursa Major" sank in international waters in the Mediterranean after an explosion in the engine room. This was confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Ship part of the shadow fleet 
According to media reports, the 142-metre-long freighter was a supply ship for the troops in Syria. The ship is said to be part of the so-called shadow fleet, which Russia maintains for its oil and gas supplies in order to circumvent sanctions.

Probably different cargo than officially stated
"The Russian cargo ship that sank off the Spanish coast yesterday was 100 percent owned by the Russian Ministry of Defense and was probably carrying more nefarious goods than the declared cargo," writes Kyiv Insider on X (see article above).

According to Spanish media reports, the explosion occurred around midday on Monday between the port city of Águilas in south-eastern Spain and Oran in Algeria.

Cause of the explosion unknown for the time being
The Red Cross in Spain had mobilized a team of doctors and psychosocial support specialists to care for the victims and had also organized emergency accommodation. The cause of the accident was initially unknown. 

The Spanish rescue ship "Clara Campoamor" and a Spanish navy patrol boat have remained at the scene of the accident until further notice, also to observe whether fuel is leaking from the 15-year-old cargo ship.