Did Russia’s 'ghost ship' Ursa Major sink off Spain coast with nuclear cargo?

The Ursa Major, a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship likely carrying two nuclear reactors, sank about 60 miles off the coast of Spain. The ship suffered three explosions on its starboard side. The ship sank in 2024, and the details surrounding it had been shrouded in mystery. While officials listed cargo, such as port cranes and empty containers bound for Vladivostok, a Spanish investigation and a new CNN investigation claim that it was a Western intervention to halt Russia from delivering an upgrade in nuclear technology to North Korea.

The sinking of Russia's ship Ursa Major

The sequence of events leading to the sinking of Ursa Major remains unclear. According to a Spanish investigation, it was sunk using a torpedo, and 14 crew members were rescued by Spanish maritime services; 2 crew members remain missing and are presumed dead. It was being escorted by two Russian military ships, the Ivan Gren and Aleksandr Otrakovsky. It first gave a distress call at 11:53 am UTC on December 23. It said that the vessel had suffered three explosions on its starboard side, likely near its engine room, and it was immobile. The Russian vessels that escorted the Ursa major urged the Spanish rescuer to maintain a distance of two nautical miles, and then the Spanish authorities insisted on helping. They checked the vessel and claimed that it would not sink anytime soon. At 9:50 pm, one of the escorting ships, the Ivan Green, fired red flares and four explosions, and four seismic signatures were recorded. By 11:10 pm, the Ursa Major was reported sunk.

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What was the cargo on Russia's ship Ursa Major?

The Russian captain initially claimed that the ship was carrying manhole covers and empty containers. But later, its owner, the state-linked Oboronlogistics, said that it was licensed to carry nuclear materials. He labelled the event a "targeted terrorist attack," citing a 50 cm hole in the hull with metal bent inward. What caught the attention of observers was the activities following its sinking. The Russian spy ship Yantar arrived, and four additional explosions were recorded. The US WC-135R “sniffer” has visited the area a couple of times since the explosions. However, there has been no evidence of a radiation leak at the site yet, but the incident continues to draw international interest.