Russian ship under US sanctions sinks after explosion in engine room

A Russian cargo ship, Ursa Major, has sunk in the Mediterranean between Spain and Algeria after an explosion in the engine room, the BBC writes, referring to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

It said 14 members of the crew were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena but two others were missing.

Ursa Major left port in Saint Petersburg 12 days ago, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

It is not known what caused the explosion․

The ship was built in 2009 and placed under sanction after Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022 because of the ship owner’s role in delivering cargo to the Russian military.