Tue Dec 24 16:33:27 UTC 2024: ## Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean, Two Crew Missing
**Madrid, Spain –** A Russian cargo ship, the Ursa Major, sank in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday, December 23, 2024, leaving two crew members missing. Fourteen crew members were rescued by Spanish maritime authorities and are now in Cartagena, Spain.
The Ursa Major, owned by a Russian company under US and EU sanctions, was en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok carrying two 380-ton cranes. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, an explosion in the engine room caused the ship to sink approximately 57 nautical miles from Almería, Spain.
Spanish authorities reported receiving a distress alert around 1 p.m. Monday, noting poor weather conditions and a lifeboat in the water. A Russian warship assisted in the rescue operation. Despite the presence of empty containers and cranes on board, the precise cause of the incident remains under investigation.
The ship, which sank around midnight, was in the western Mediterranean at the same time as another sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Sparta. While the Northern Sea Route is becoming increasingly viable due to global warming, many ships still opt for the southern route during winter, a route that commonly takes them through the Mediterranean.
Spanish maritime rescue teams continue searching for the missing crew members and monitoring the area for potential pollution. The Russian embassy in Spain is cooperating with local authorities in the ongoing investigation.
First Piper 