INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Two crew members are missing out on after a Russian state-owned cargo ship sank in worldwide waters in the Mediterranean Sea after an
explosion on board, Russias Foreign Ministry stated Tuesday.The Ursa Major sank after a surge in the engine room, the ministrys crisis
system stated, adding that 14 team members were saved and required to the Spanish port of Cartagena while another 2 remained missing.Spains
sea rescue service stated in a declaration that the ship sent out a distress signal Monday morning when it was off the coast of southeastern
Spain in bad weather, reporting that the ship was listing and a lifeboat had actually been introduced
It dispatched a helicopter and rescue boats and took the survivors to port, where they were helped by the Red Cross.A Russian warship then
arrived and organized the rescue operation given that the ship was between Spanish and Algerian waters, after which the Ursa Major sunk over
According to the survivors account, the cargo ship was carrying empty containers in the hold and two cranes on deck, the Spanish rescue
service said.The ships owner Oboronlogistika, which belongs to the Russian Defense Ministry and also provides civilian transportation and
logistics, said the Ursa Major was bring harbor cranes and hatch covers for icebreakers.Russias Foreign Ministry stated the ship is owned by
a subsidiary of Russias Oboronlogistika, which comes from Russias Defense Ministry and also provides civilian transport and logistics
A map on Oboronologistikas site shows the business covers a route from Novorossiisk, in southern Russia, to Tartus, Russias naval base in
Syria.The Ursa Major is listed on MarineTraffic.com as a 124.7-meter (409-foot) long basic freight ship cruising from Saint Petersburg to
Vladivostok in Russias Far East.Oboronlogistika provided a press release recently with photos of the ship in port, saying it would transport
a big and heavy load of cranes and hatch covers for icebreakers toVladivostok
It stated this was part of state efforts to establish ports and the northern sea path through the Arctic.
