Russian Army's biggest cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after explosion

By Bloomberg News 

The biggest cargo ship belonging to the Russian military’s logistics fleet sank in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion in its engine room. 

The Ursa Major was lost in international waters following the blast, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday in a website statement. Two crew members were missing and 14 others were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, according to the ministry. 

It gave no information on what may have caused the explosion. The Ursa Major, which had a capacity of 1,200 tons and could fit 120 vehicles on its deck, was the biggest cargo vessel operated by Oboronlogistika, a company belonging to the Russian Defense Ministry that transports military and civilian goods, according to the company’s website. 

The vessel underwent repairs to its crane equipment in November ahead of a planned voyage to Russia’s Far East with heavy cargo, according to a Dec. 3 posting on Oboronlogistika’s website. It had previously undertaken trips to the Middle East and Asia as well as along the Northern Sea Route via the Arctic, according to the company.