A Russian cargo ship that sank off the south-east coast of Spain may have been carrying nuclear submarine reactor components bound for North Korea, according to reports.
The Ursa Major, a 142-metre Russian-flagged vessel owned by the state-linked company Oboronlogistics, went down about 62 nautical miles off the coast of Murcia on 23 December 2024, after what crew members described as three explosions in the engine room.
Spanish maritime rescue service Sasemar sent a helicopter, rescue boat and tugboat after the ship issued a distress call. Nearby vessels reported that the ship was listing badly and that crew members were abandoning ship. Fourteen crew members were rescued, while two are believed to have died in the initial explosions.
The rescue operation changed course when a Russian warship arrived and ordered Spanish rescue boats to withdraw. According to reports, the warship later fired flares over the stricken vessel, possibly to interfere with satellite monitoring. CNN reported that several seismic signatures were detected shortly afterwards, resembling the sound patterns of underwater mines or blasts. The ship sank later that night and now lies around 2,500 metres below the surface.
Officially, the Ursa Major was carrying non-dangerous cargo, including shipping containers, cranes and large metal covers. However, Spanish investigators reportedly became suspicious after examining the route, cargo details and satellite images showing two large blue containers on the stern.
Under questioning, the ship’s captain allegedly told investigators that the so-called “manhole covers” were in fact nuclear reactor components similar to those used in submarines, although he said no nuclear fuel was on board.
According to CNN and Spanish newspaper La Verdad, investigators believe the cargo may have been destined for the North Korean port of Rason. The reports suggest the incident may have been a covert Western military intervention to stop Russia transferring sensitive nuclear technology to North Korea.
The cause of the sinking remains unconfirmed. Reports claim a hole found in the hull could be consistent with a high-speed supercavitating torpedo, a weapon believed to be held by only a small number of countries. Russia’s Oboronlogistics has described the sinking as a “targeted terrorist attack”.
The case remains unresolved, but the claims have intensified questions over Russian-North Korean military cooperation and the possibility that a secret nuclear cargo was lost in Spanish waters.
