CNN: Russian Ship Sank Under Mysterious Circumstances

It may have been a Western intelligence operation.

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which was allegedly carrying two nuclear reactors for submarines and could have been heading to North Korea, sank after a series of mysterious explosions about 100 kilometers off the coast of Spain. This is according to an investigation by CNN.

The vessel sank on December 23, 2024, and the circumstances of the incident are still shrouded in mystery. According to the TV station, the incident may be linked to a rare and highly sensitive operation by the Western military, which could have been aimed at preventing Moscow from transferring nuclear technology to Pyongyang. The ship set sail two months after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

Interest in the wreck persists to this day. Over the past year, American radiation reconnaissance planes have twice flown over the wreckage, and a week after the disaster, a suspected Russian reconnaissance vessel approached the wreckage, followed by four more explosions.

Spanish authorities did not comment on the incident for a long time. Only on February 23, after pressure from the opposition, a statement was released that confirmed that the captain had told investigators that the ship was carrying components for two nuclear reactors similar to those used on submarines. He did not know whether they contained nuclear fuel.

According to the investigation, the ship may have been hit by a rare type of torpedo that penetrated the hull near the engine room before sinking.

Ursa Major, previously used by Russia for military transport in Syria, left the port of Ust-Luga on December 11 with an official destination of Vladivostok. The cargo manifest showed two large cranes, containers and some massive structures labeled as "hatches."

The loading video analyzed by CNN shows the placement of containers in the hold with gaps left where the objects were later placed.

The vessel was escorted along the coast of Europe by the Russian warships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky. After passing through Portuguese waters, the escort disappeared from radar, and after several hours in Spanish waters, the ship slowed sharply.

After 24 hours, it gave a distress signal. Three explosions occurred on the starboard side, presumably near the engine room. Two crew members were killed. The remaining 14 sailors were evacuated by Spanish rescuers.

When Spanish services began to inspect the vessel, the Russian escort ship demanded to keep its distance and return the crew. Rescuers managed to inspect the living quarters and part of the containers, where they found debris, fishing nets and technical equipment.

CNN sources said the ship appeared stable at the time and showed no signs of imminent sinking.

At 9:50 p.m. local time, however, red flares were fired from the Ivan Gren, followed by four more powerful explosions. They were recorded by the Spanish National Seismic Network, noting that the nature of the signals resembled underwater explosions.

Less than two hours later, the ship finally went to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

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