The Ursa Major, a Russian cargo ship that sank off the coast of Spain in December 2024, may have been carrying nuclear submarine reactors destined for North Korea, according to recent reports. The vessel, owned by the state-linked Oboronlogistics company, suffered a series of mysterious explosions before going down 62 nautical miles off Murcia.
Mysterious Explosions and Sinking
The 142-metre-long ship was purportedly sailing from St Petersburg to Vladivostok when it sent a distress call at 12.53pm on 23 December 2024. Spain's maritime rescue service, Sasemar, dispatched a helicopter, a fast rescue boat, and a tugboat to assist. The crew reported three explosions in the engine room, and the ship was listing badly. At 8.07pm, a Russian warship arrived, took over operations, and ordered the Spanish boats to withdraw to two nautical miles. The Russian warship then launched flares over the Ursa Major, possibly to blind intelligence satellites. By 11.20pm, the ship had sunk to a depth of 2,500 metres. Two crew members are believed to have died in the explosions, while 14 were rescued.
Nuclear Reactor Components Revealed
Although the vessel was officially transporting non-dangerous merchandise, including 129 shipping containers and two cranes, the captain later told Spanish investigators that the large maintenance hole covers were actually nuclear reactor components similar to those used in submarines, though no nuclear fuel was aboard. Satellite images also showed two huge blue containers, each weighing about 65 tonnes, on the stern. Investigators noted that these loads would be nearly impossible to transport overland, justifying the lengthy sea voyage.
Possible Western Military Intervention
CNN reported that the sinking may mark a rare intervention by a Western military to prevent Russia from sending nuclear technology to North Korea. The Russian ship set sail just two months after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent troops to assist Russia in Ukraine. A 50cm by 50cm hole in the hull, with metal bent inward, could have been caused by a supercavitating torpedo, a weapon possessed only by the US, a few NATO allies, Russia, and Iran. The Spanish investigation concluded that such a device could explain the sudden slowing of the ship on 22 December.
There has been a flurry of military activity around the wreckage, with US nuclear sniffer aircraft overflying the scene twice in the past year and a Russian spy ship setting off four further explosions a week after the sinking. Oboronlogistics claimed the ship fell prey to a targeted terrorist attack. Spain's interior, foreign, and defence ministries have been contacted for comment.
