Russia suspects a major act of sabotage over 'three explosions' which sank its military cargo supply vessel Ursa Major in the Mediterranean.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility but a prominent Kyiv war source has warned Vladimir Putin to expect more such acts.
The 466ft ship sank hours after the blasts. It had passed the Strait of Gibraltar and was between Spain and Algeria.
At the time, there were reports of one engine room explosion.
But now the Russian owner of the Ursa Major - Oboronlogistics, closely linked to Vladimir Putin's defence ministry - says a 'pre-planned terrorist attack was committed against the vessel' on 23 December.
'There were three consecutive explosions on the starboard side in the area of the stern,' admitted the company.
'The vessel developed a 25-degree list - a clear sign water had begun to flood the ship's compartments.'
The 466ft ship sank hours after the blasts
Survivors of the sinking of Russian cargo ship Ursa Major stand on the deck of a Spanish Maritime Rescue ship upon arrival at the port of Cartagena, Spain
A criminal investigation is underway in Russia into the alleged sabotage which may have involved primed explosives on board.
Officially the ship which had passed through the English Channel was heading for Vladivostok in the Pacific via the Suez Canal, but there are suspicions it was due to call en route at Tartus in Syria to take on board military cargo as Russia winds down its armed forces presence following the fall of ally Bashar al-Assad.
On board the vessel were two gantry cranes weighing a total of 686 tonnes, two crane buckets weighing 27 tonnes, two ship's bilge covers weighing a total of 91 tonnes, one 20-ft container with spare parts for the covers weighing two tonnes plus 129 empty containers.
Its loss is a blow to Putin because its cargo included super-heavy cranes and parts of a new nuclear icebreaker such as 45-ton hatch covers.
Ukrainian war correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko, with 340,000 followers, said vessels in Putin's so-called shadow fleet evading sanctions and carrying military supplies could now be threatened.
'The Russian bulk carrier Ursa Major was likely damaged by three explosions,' reported his channel Tsaplienko_Ukraine Fights.
Rescued mariners from the Ursa Major after the incident in the Mediterranean
The Russian vessel Ursa Major with a mystery cargo on board sank in international waters between Spain and Algeria
'If this is true, and there was sabotage on board the ship, then the Russian economy could soon suffer a strategic blow due to the fact that its 'shadow fleet' suspends its activities.
'The ship sinking off Spain was involved in the 'Syrian Express', a weapons supply system for the Assad regime in Syria.
'If Russian ships continue to transport weapons, oil, and grain stolen from Ukraine, then who knows, similar sabotage on other ships in neutral waters is not out of the question.
'If Russia suddenly wants to ensure their safety, it will return them to Russian ports for inspection.
'In both cases, the ships will stop bringing Russia crazy money, so the Kremlin will not spend it on terror against Ukrainians.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14227007/Sunk-Putin-cargo-ship-victim-sabotage-sparked-three-explosions-onboard-Russians-believe-Ukraine-vows-attacks.html
A second cargo vessel - Sparta, and visually similar to Ursa Major - was drifting off the coast of Portugal after suffering a technical problem.
Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR said: 'The cargo ship Sparta, which Russia sent to transport its weapons and equipment from Syria, broke down during movement.
A second cargo vessel - Sparta, and visually similar to Ursa Major - was drifting off the coast of Portugal after suffering a technical problem
'A fuel pipe of the main engine failed.
'The Russian crew is trying to fix the problem and (the ship) is drifting in the open sea near Portugal.'
Sparta reportedly continued her eastbound journey at a low speed, declaring her destination as Port Said in Egypt.
The latest disaster follows Putin losing multiple naval vessels in the Black Sea after attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles.
Earlier this month an oil tanker broke up in the Kerch Strait and another suffered a serious spill, causing catastrophic pollution in the Black Sea.
A satellite image shows an overview of the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria
Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy foreign affairs minister, said earlier this week that they were having 'constructive' talks with the main rebel group.
Well-placed sources told Bloomberg that talks are already underway to ensure that Russian forces can remain at the naval port in Tartus, Russia's only Mediterranean port.
The Tartus naval facility houses elements of its Black Sea Fleet.
It is also Russia's only repair and replenishment hub in the Mediterranean, and received significant investment and upgrades in 2012.
The hub allows Russian ships to stay in the Mediterranean without having to return to Black Sea ports via the Bosporus.
Passing the strait relies on Turkey's goodwill.
Picture of the Ursa Major taken by the Portuguese Navy, the day before it sank
The Ursa Major was used to supply Russian troops in Syria, where Moscow has a naval base at Tartus.
The Ursa Major was heading to Syria to transport Russian military equipment, which is being pulled from the country following the fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad.
The demise of the Ursa Major came days after a Russian tanker carrying oil products sank in the Black Sea, causing an ecological disaster.
The Russian oil fleet has been heavily sanctioned by western nations since the Kremlin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
As a result, Moscow has resorted to using a so-called ghost fleet of tankers, which are often poorly maintained and unsuitable for open waters, to transport oil and circumvent sanctions.
The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major that ran into trouble in the Mediterranean Sea and later sank was rocked by a series of three explosions in "an act of terrorism," said Russian state news agency RIA.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said that the "Ursa Major," built in 2009, sank after an explosion ripped through its engine room.
After the explosion the ship began to sharply list, as it was obviously taking in water. The ship was not overloaded.
The Ursa Major was in the same area of the Med as another sanctioned Russian ship, Sparta, when it ran into trouble. The two ships had been spotted heading through the English Channel last week.
Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported that the Sparta was heading to Russia's naval base on the Syrian coast at Tartous to move military equipment out of Syria after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad.
RosmorportThe Sparta also got into difficulty a week ago, in rough seas off Brittany in the north-west of France. Radio France Inter reported that the Russian cargo ship initially did not respond to French communications on Tuesday 17 December, until acknowledging it had a problem.
"I'm in trouble. My engines are currently down, the tiller isn't responding. We're going to try to repair it in the coming minutes," RFI reported the ship's radio as saying.
After drifting for 61 minutes, the Sparta said it was back on course.
