A previously undisclosed cargo aboard a Russian cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean Sea more than a year ago has come to light through a Spanish parliamentary document, according to a report by the Associated Press. The Ursa Major sank on December 23, 2024, between Spain and Algeria after an explosion in its engine room. Two crew members were lost, while 14 were rescued by Spanish rescue craft.
At the time, the ship’s manifest declared 129 containers, two large cranes, and two “well covers.” But after the rescue, the ship’s captain told the harbor master in Cartagena, Spain, that the “well covers” were actually components for two nuclear reactors like those used in submarines, the Spanish government wrote in a response to opposition lawmakers. The document, registered by Spain’s parliament on February 23, was first reported by CNN on Tuesday and seen by the AP. The captain said the vessel was not carrying nuclear fuel.
The ship’s owner, the Russian state company Oboronlogistika, claimed soon after the disaster that the Ursa Major was sabotaged. It said three powerful explosions damaged the boat just above the water line in what it described as a “terrorist attack.” The company was established under Russia’s defense ministry and has been placed under U.S. and European Union sanctions for its ties to the Russian military.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that he had not seen the reports regarding the ship’s cargo. “There is nothing for us to comment on here,” Peskov said.
Spanish authorities said they were unable to search the ship to verify the captain’s account during the rescue operation, which focused on saving the crew and looking for the two missing members. The wreckage now sits at a depth of 2,500 meters. The Spanish government’s written response does not indicate what, if any, follow-up investigation it plans to undertake.