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A Russian cargo ship operated by the Ministry of Defense's logistics fleet sank on Tuesday in international waters between Spain and Algeria while traveling from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.
The ship, named Ursa Major, sank following an explosion in its engine room. Two crew members are still missing, while 14 others have been rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, Russia's foreign ministry said.
At 142 meters long – about half a football – the Ursa Major was the largest ship operated by Oboronlogistika, the logistics arm of the Russian military, and had a cargo load of up to 1,200 tonnes.
The Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Defense (GRU) he said that the ship used to transport cargo between Russia and Iran in the Caspian Sea before being sent to routes connected to Syria.
The ship was transporting cranes and icebreakers to Vladivostok as part of a “government mission” to develop the Northern Sea Route, according to information on the Oboronlogistika website.
Moscow in recent years has championed the Northern Sea Route as a faster alternative to the Suez Canal for shipping to China, Russia's biggest trading partner, which it has come to rely on in the face of western sanctions.
The route lies in completely arctic waters but is easily navigated in the summer months due to the warm weather.
A typical journey from the northern Russian port of Primorsk to China via the Suez Canal takes 45 days, while the Northern Sea Route reduces this to 35 days.