- A Russian-flagged cargo vessel has sunk within the Mediterranean Sea, per Russia’s overseas ministry.
- The Ursa Main ship went down after an explosion within the engine room, the ministry mentioned.
- It comes after Ukraine mentioned Moscow had despatched 4 ships to Russian army bases in Syria.
A Russian-flagged cargo vessel has sunk within the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion in its engine room, Russia’s overseas ministry mentioned on Tuesday.
Fourteen crew members have been rescued, however two have been lacking, the ministry’s scenario and disaster unit mentioned in a Telegram submit.
The ministry mentioned the vessel, the Ursa Main, was owned by SK-YUG LLC, a Russian delivery firm often known as SC South that has been sanctioned by the US.
Spain’s Maritime Rescue company informed Enterprise Insider that it had obtained a misery alert name from the Ursa Main final night time.
It mentioned the ship was 57 nautical miles off the coast of Almeria in southern Spain in dangerous climate situations. This prompted the maritime rescue facilities of Almeria, Cartagena, and Madrid to coordinate a rescue effort, it added.
The 14 individuals rescued have been transferred to the Spanish port metropolis of Cartagena, the company mentioned, including that one other Russian ship later arrived within the space and took over the rescue operations.
Ship monitoring information mentioned the 466-foot Ursa Main, in-built 2009, final departed from St. Petersburg on December 11.
It comes after Ukraine’s intelligence directorate reported on Monday {that a} Russian cargo ship known as Sparta had damaged down close to Portugal after the engine failed.
The GUR mentioned the ship had been despatched to evacuate Russian weapons and tools from Syria.
The crew was in a position to repair the vessel, and it continued on by means of the Strait of Gibraltar, the GUR mentioned.
It stays unclear whether or not the Sparta and the Ursa Main are the identical ship. Maritime monitoring information reveals that the Ursa Main was beforehand named Sparta III.
Moscow has operated two army amenities in Syria, the Hmeimin airbase and the Tartus naval base. Each have been essential for projecting Russia’s affect throughout the Center East and Africa.
The autumn of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad earlier this month has known as the way forward for the bases into query.
Ukraine’s GUR mentioned earlier this month that Russia had deployed 4 ships to assist evacuate tools in Syria, together with ships named the Sparta and Sparta II.
This can be a growing story. Please examine again for updates.
