THE Spanish government has ruled out sabotage or a torpedo attack in the sinking of a Russian cargo ship near Cartagena.
The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank approximately 100km off the coast of Cartagena in December 2024, killing two crew members and fuelling speculation about possible sabotage.
Claims also circulated that the vessel was carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea.
A recent CNN investigation pointed to a deliberate attack on the Usra Major to sink it and prevent it from transporting the alleged nuclear reactors to North Korea.
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CNN’s report suggested that the Russian ship’s hull had a 50 x 50 cm hole, which could have been caused by a high-precision torpedo.
However, Spain’s Defence Secretary, Margarita Robles has denied this hypothesis stating, “To date, no authority has attributed the sinking to sabotage or a deliberate attack.”
She instead suggested the sinking may have been caused by ‘explosions in the engine room,’ as described by the ship’s captain.
Robles added that claims the ship was carrying nuclear reactors cannot be verified.
Her statement comes after CNN’s report claimed that the ship’s captain Igor Anisimov told investigators the ship was carrying ‘components for two nuclear reactors similar to those used in submarines,’ and that he was unsure whether they contained nuclear fuel.
Sources cited by CNN also said Anisimov believed the cargo was ultimately bound for the North Korean port of Rason.
Consequently, Murcia’s President Fernando Lopez Miras demanded that the Defence Ministry investigate the claims.
Robles said that verifying these claims will be ‘impossible’ stating that the ship sank to a depth of 2,5000 metres.
“According to the Navy technicians, at that depth, salvaging the ship is impossible,” she explained.
However Robles did confirm that the sunken vessel was ‘linked to the logistics sector of the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense.’
She added that the Defence Ministry believe the ship was carrying “empty containers, spare parts, two large cranes and components intended for the construction of a Russian nuclear icebreaker.”
For now, Spanish authorities appear to regard the sinking as an accident rather than an act of sabotage, despite persistent speculation over the ship’s cargo and final destination.
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