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Russian ship that sank off Spanish coast was exploded in 'act of terrorism,' RIA points out owner

A Russian freight ship that ran into difficulty on Monday in the Mediterranean Sea and later on sank was rocked by a series of 3 surges in an act of terrorism, state news firm RIA cited the vessel's owner as saying on Wednesday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday that the Ursa. Significant, built in 2009, sank after an explosion ripped through. its engine space and that 2 of its 16 crew were missing.

RIA cited Oboronlogistika, the ship's ultimate owner and a. business that becomes part of the Russian Defence Ministry's military. building operations, as stating on Wednesday that the vessel. had actually been targeted in a terrorist act.

It cited Oboronlogistika as stating that the ship's making it through. 14 team members had actually reported that 3 successive explosions. on the ship's starboard side had detonated at 1350 Moscow time. ( 1050 GMT) in the vessel's aft on Dec. 23.

The ship had then started to sharply list as it was. undoubtedly taking in water, RIA cited Oboronlogistika as saying. The ship was not overloaded, it added.

It was carrying two giant port cranes on its deck with. their loading buckets, two heavy hatch covers for ice-breaking. vessels, 129 empty containers, and a 20-foot container with. roof devices, RIA said.

Oboronlogistika had said that the ship had actually been en path. to the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok.

Oboronlogistika and SK-Yug, a company LSEG lists as part of. the group and the ship's direct owner and operator, declined to. talk about the sinking at the time. Both entities were positioned. under sanctions by the United States in 2022 for their ties to. Russia's military as was the Ursa Major itself.

Spain's Maritime Rescue Service stated it had received a. call for help from the Ursa Major on Monday when it was. located about 57 miles off the coast of Almeira.

Two vessels and a helicopter had been sent to the scene. and the 14 making it through team members taken to the Spanish port of. Cartagena.

LSEG ship tracking information reveals the vessel departed from. the Russian port of St. Petersburg on Dec. 11 and was last seen. sending a signal at 2204 GMT on Monday in between Algeria and Spain. where it sank.

On leaving St. Petersburg it had actually suggested that its next. port of call was the Russian port of Vladivostok, not the Syrian. port of Tartous which it has called at in the past.

(source: Reuters)