The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea after three explosions on the starboard side in what is now clearly an attack, Oboronlogistika, a company that owns the ship, told media outlets.
Details about the incident:
The ship sank 67 miles off the coast of Spain and 45 miles off the coast of Algeria. The ship left St. Petersburg for the port of Vladivostok 12 days ago.
The map below shows the location of the sinking, with the country of Spain to the north (top) and the country of Algeria to the south (bottom):
"During the emergency external inspection of the vessel, a hole of 50x50 cm (19.6 x 19.6 Inches) in diameter was discovered above the waterline. The edges of the hole were torn and turned inward. The deck of the ship was strewn with fragments."
The Russian Foreign Ministry's crisis management center reported that 14 of the 16 crew members had been rescued, while two are missing.
According to its owner, the vessel is one of the largest bulk carriers in Russia, with a maximum carrying capacity of 9,500 tons. At the same time, the cargo weight was 806 tons.
It now appears that the vessel was intentionally attacked and deliberately sunk, perhaps by Ukraine, but more likely by another "state perpetrator."
The fact that the hole in the side was "above the water line" indicates the explosion took place via an unmanned sea vessel (drone) which Ukraine has used very frequently in its conflict with Russia.
The fact that this sinking took place so very far away from Ukraine makes clear the Unmanned vessel was launched from a country far away from Ukraine. That could mean a European (NATO) country, or one of the countries along the northern coast of Africa.
While officially, Russia is classifying this as a "terrorist" attack, it is also "an act of war."
