Russia has described the sinking of its cargo ship that sank on Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea as an “act of terrorism”. The cargo ship, Ursa Major, sank while it was sailing through international waters between Spain and Algeria.

A Russian cargo ship has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion onboard, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 24. The explosion occurred in Ursa Major’s engine rooms just after midday on Dec. 23, causing the ship to list between Spain and Algeria. The cause is not yet known.

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, that was alleged to be evacuating military personnel and materiel from Russian bases in Syria, sank in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain on Monday night.

A "terrorist act" sank the cargo ship that went down in international waters in the Mediterranean this week, the Russian state-owned company that owns the vessel said Wednesday. The ship sank in international waters off Spain in the early hours of Tuesday after having sent a distress call for help on Monday.

LSEG ship tracking data shows the vessel departed from the Russian port of Saint Petersburg on Dec. 11 and was last seen sending a signal at 2204 GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain

Earlier, a Russian cargo ship that Kyiv says was intended to collect weapons from military bases in Syria sunk on route in the Mediterranean Sea. Officials in Moscow said two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria.

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