Russian cargo ship which sank off Spanish coast was victim of 'act of terrorism,' RIA cites owner

Survivors of the sinking of Russian cargo ship Ursa Major disembark from a Spanish Maritime Rescue ship upon arrival at the port of Cartagena, Spain, December 23, 2024. REUTERS/Jose Maria Rodriguez

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian cargo ship called Ursa Major which sank in the Mediterranean Sea was the victim of "an act of terrorism," state news agency RIA cited the vessel's owner as saying on Wednesday.

The ship, built in 2009, sank after an explosion ripped through its engine room and two of its 16 crew were missing, the Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

RIA cited Oboronlogistika, the ship's ultimate owner and a company that is part of the Russian Defence Ministry's military construction operations, as saying the vessel had been targeted in "a terrorist act."

Oboronlogistika had previously said that the ship had been en route to the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok with two giant port cranes lashed to its deck.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn)