The news made the rounds on social networks this Tuesday, December 24. Russia has just lost a major part of its logistics fleet. The Russian Foreign Ministry assures that the cargo ship Ursa Major sank between Spain and Algeria following an explosion in the engine room. Two sailors are missing, fourteen others were rescued. Images and data freely available online allow us to learn more about this shipwreck.
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On December 20, 2024, RFI’s specialist in defense issues, Franck Alexandre, reported the difficulties at sea of a first cargo ship of the Russian fleet off the French coast. Caught in bad weather, and following damage, the Sparta had drifted for nearly an hour in the Iroise Sea, prompting French emergency services to be put on alert. After a long time and after refusing any assistance, the crew finally managed to resume navigation.
New alert, December 23, this time in the Mediterranean Sea. Relying on AIS signals highlighted by the online tracking site, Vessel Finderseveral accounts note the presence of at least three Spanish rescue vessels (SAR) including a deep-sea tug: the Clara Campoamor. They are in the process of providing assistance to another Russian cargo ship: theUrsa Major between the ports of Cartagena and Oran.
THE Sparta is not far. The two Russian ships appear to be sailing together even if they do not officially have the same destination. L’Ursa Major announces Vladivostok in the Far East on its AIS, and the SpartaPort Said in Egypt, at the entrance to the Suez Canal. Whatever the case, the latter obviously did not succeed in providing assistance to the crew of theUrsa Major.
Around 11 p.m., the automatic authentication system of theUrsa Major stops transmitting. It may have been cut off, or be out of service following the sinking. The latest images of the ship available from open sources show this 142 meter long cargo ship in difficulty on the afternoon of December 23. The ship shows a strong list even though it is sailing on calm seas.
To ensure the stability of the boat, containers were placed on its lower deck “ as additional dead weight », Specified in a press release the company Oboronlogistics, owner of theUrsa Major which depends on the Russian Ministry of Defense. This company also provides civilian transport and logistics services, specifies AFP. According to Spanish sea rescue services, theUrsa Major “ issued an alert call » during the night from Monday to Tuesday, about 105 kilometers from the coast of Almeria, against a backdrop of “ bad weather conditions “.
As part of the rescue operation, the assistance vessel Draco and the Clara Campoamoras well as a helicopter were dispatched to the area. At this stage, no authenticated images of the survivors or of the sinking area were available on the afternoon of December 24.
An extraordinary cargo
A few days earlier, the Portuguese navy had approached theUrsa Majorreporting good quality aerial photos. These images allow us to learn more about the ship’s cargo. We see the blue-hulled cargo ship carrying two enormous white cranes moored on the deck. This load may seem unusual due to its size.
The Oboronlogistics company which operates the cargo ship makes no secret of this. In a press release in Russianit indicates that these cranes of 380 tonnes each are leaving for the Far East, and that they will be installed in the Russian port of Vladivostok as part of the development of the Northern route: a passage through the Arctic opened by nuclear-powered icebreakers.
The company even posted a video on Facebook, showing the loading of the two cranes. According to Ukrainian accounts in particular, theUrsa Major would also carry two 45-ton hatch covers, intended to lock the nuclear reactor of the future giant Russian icebreaker designated “Project 10510”.
Boats under sanctions
L’Ursa Major like the Sparta are well known to NATO navies. These cargo ships were part of the Syrian Express: the Russian supply route to the port of Tartus, Syria. It is likely that the Sparta continues its route towards the Middle East and participates in the redeployments of Russian troops leaving Syria.
As for theUrsa Majorit is abouta ship placed under sanctions by the US Treasuryfor its use in logistical support of operations in Ukraine. It was launched in 2009 and is therefore relatively new. Was this freighter really supposed to go to Vladivostok as its AIS data indicates?
Note that these pieces of information entered by the crew are likely to be modified throughout the journey. L’Ursa Major could he have taken the direction of Tartous in Syria? In this case, what is the point of delivering cranes to a port that Russia is preparing to leave? Tartous appears to have sufficient facilities.
Were the Russians looking to open a new logistics facility in the Mediterranean, for example in Libya? The freely available information does not allow this to be clearly established. L’Ursa Major would therefore have sunk, taking with it all its secrets.