Russia has described the sinking of its cargo ship that sank on Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea as an “act of terrorism”.
The cargo ship, Ursa Major, sank while it was sailing through international waters between Spain and Algeria.
Two crew members are currently missing and its owner, Oboronlogistika, a company affiliated with the Russian defence ministry, said on Wednesday that three explosions on the starboard side of the ship caused it to sink.
The company said the incident was an “act of terrorism”, but failed to specify who might be responsible for the apparent attack.
The 142-metre long Ursa Major was the largest ship operated by Oboronlogistika and had a cargo capacity of 1,200 tonnes.
Both the ship and its owner were placed under sanctions by the US in 2022 for their ties to Russia’s military.
Spain’s sea rescue service said in a statement that the ship first sent a distress call on Monday morning when it was off the coast of south-eastern Spain in bad weather, reporting that the ship was listing and a lifeboat had been launched.
Moscow said 14 of the ship’s 16 crew members had been rescued and brought to Spain, but that two crew were still missing.
The ship was reportedly on its way to Vladivostok in the far east of Russia, carrying two cranes for the port weighing 380 tonnes each.
Russian officials have yet to comment on claims suggesting foul play in the ship’s sinking.
Share your story or advertise with us: Whatsapp: +2347068606071 Email: info@newspotng.com
