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A Russian-flagged cargo ship has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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The Ursa Major ship sank after an explosion in the engine room, the ministry said.
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It comes after Ukraine said Moscow had sent four ships to Russian military bases in Syria.
A Russian-flagged cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean after an explosion in its engine room, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Fourteen crew members were rescued, but two were missing, the ministry’s situation and crisis unit said in a Telegram post.
A map alongside the statement suggested the ship’s location was between Aguilas in southern Spain and the Algerian port city of Oran.
The ministry said the ship, the Ursa Major, was owned by SK-YUG LLC, a Russian shipping company, also known as SC South, that has been sanctioned by the US.
Ship tracking data shows that the 466-foot vessel, built in 2009, last departed St. Petersburg on December 11.
It comes after Ukraine’s Intelligence Directorate said on Monday that a Russian cargo ship named Sparta broke down near Portugal after its engine failed.
The GUR said the ship was sent to evacuate Russian weapons and equipment from Syria.
The crew was able to repair the ship and continued sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the GUR said.
It remains unclear whether the Sparta and the Ursa Major are the same ship. Maritime tracking data shows that the Ursa Major was previously named Sparta III.
Moscow has operated two military facilities in Syria, the Hmeimin Air Base and the Tartus Naval Base. Both have been crucial in projecting Russia’s influence in the Middle East and Africa.
The fall of former Syrian ruler Bashar Assad earlier this month has thrown the future of the bases into doubt.
Ukraine’s GUR said earlier this month that Russia had deployed four ships to help evacuate equipment in Syria, including ships named Sparta and Sparta II.
This is a development story. Check back later for updates.
Read the original article on Business Insider
