Before the Ursa Major sank, Spain’s Salvamento Maritimo Maritime Rescue Service announced that 14 people in the lifeboat had been found and safely transported to Spain, and that a Russian warship had arrived in the area to take over the rescue operation.
The Ursa Major was in the same Med area as another Russian-approved vessel, Sparta, when problems arose. Both ships were seen transiting the English Channel under escort last week.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Service (HUR) reported that the Spartans were heading to the Russian naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast to transfer military equipment from Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
A Kremlin official said Monday that Russia has been in contact with Syria’s new rulers about the future of two military facilities. On a diplomatic and military level.
Ursa Major’s owner, Oboronlogistika, has been heavily involved in transporting cargo to Tartous, but the Sparta’s reported destination on Tuesday was Port Said, Egypt.
Maritime transport monitoring website LSEG told the BBC that Ursa Major’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) showed its destination since December 11 had been Vladivostok, with its last port of call in July.
