BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean more than a year ago after an engine room explosion may have been carrying parts for a submarine nuclear reactor, Spanish government documents show.
The Ursa Major sank between Spain and Algeria on December 23, 2024, allegedly en route from St. Petersburg to the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok. Two crew members died and 14 others were rescued by Spanish rescue boats.
The Spanish government wrote in a written response to opposition lawmakers that the ship’s captain “acknowledged” that the ship was carrying “components of two nuclear reactors, similar to those used in submarines.”
The response was contained in a document registered by Spain’s parliament on February 23, and CNN first reported on Tuesday. The document was reviewed by The Associated Press.
At the time of the sinking, Russian state-owned shipowner Oboron Logisticika said the Ursa Major was damaged. The company said three powerful explosions damaged ships above the waterline in what it described as a “terrorist attack.”
Oboronlogisticika was established under the Russian Defense Ministry and has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union over its ties to the Russian military.
The ship’s manifest showed it was carrying 129 containers, two large cranes and “two manhole covers,” documents show.
Officials said that when questioned by the captain about the rescue in Cartagena, Spain, the captain revealed that the manhole cover was a nuclear component. He added that the ship was not carrying nuclear fuel.
Spanish authorities said they were unable to search the ship to confirm information during the rescue operation, which is focused on rescuing the crew and finding the two missing people. The wreck lies at a depth of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet).
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday that he had not seen reports about the ship’s cargo, while adding: “We have nothing to comment on.”
