Russia confirms wreck of Ursa Major dry cargo ship in Mediterranean Sea UPDATED/ PHOTO

The Russian dry cargo ship Ursa Major has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea following an explosion in its engine room, with 14 crew members rescued and two reported missing.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Centre, the incident occurred in international waters. Of the 16 crew members aboard, all of whom were Russian citizens, 14 were successfully rescued, while two remain missing, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The rescued crew members were transported to the port of Cartagena by the rescue service. The situation is being closely monitored by the duty shifts of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department, along with the Ministry of Transport and other relevant Russian authorities.

The cargo ship left St. Petersburg about two weeks ago and headed for the port of Vladivostok, where it was scheduled to arrive on January 22.

The Ursa Major is a cargo ship built in 2009.

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A Russian cargo ship, Ursa Major, sank in the Mediterranean Sea in international waters between Spain and Algeria. 

According to Spanish media, 14 crew members were rescued and transported to the port of Cartagena, while two sailors remain missing, Caliber.Az reports per Spanish media.

The incident occurred after an explosion in the ship's engine room, with the vessel going down between the Spanish municipality of Águilas, in the Murcia region, and the Algerian city of Oran.

The Ursa Major, which had been involved in evacuating Russian cargo from Syria, was previously used for transporting military supplies between Russia and Syria.

To recap, on December 15, two Russian tankers, Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239, capsized in the Kerch Strait due to severe weather, resulting in one confirmed death. The tankers, which were carrying large amounts of fuel, were struck by powerful waves, causing hull cracks and splitting the vessels.

While the Volgoneft-212 sank, the Volgoneft-239 remained afloat and drifted towards the Taman Peninsula. Eight crew members were rescued. The incident caused an oil spill, worsening the environmental impact. The storm was believed to be the cause of the collision.

By Aghakazim Guliyev