A Russian cargo vessel, Ursa Major, has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria following an explosion in its engine room, confirmed by Russia's foreign ministry. The ministry reported that 14 crew members were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, while two others remain missing.

The ship, which departed from St. Petersburg 12 days ago, was reportedly en route to Vladivostok, Russia’s Far East port, carrying two 380-tonne cranes intended for the port. However, this destination could not be independently verified.

Before the sinking, Spain's Salvamento Marítimo maritime rescue agency found 14 people on a lifeboat and safely transported them to Spain. A Russian warship then arrived in the area to assist in the operation.

At the time of the incident, Ursa Major was in the same part of the Mediterranean as another Russian ship under sanctions, Sparta. Both vessels had reportedly passed through the English Channel under escort the previous week. Ukrainian military intelligence had earlier reported that Sparta was heading to Russia's naval base at Tartous, Syria, to move military equipment after Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

A Kremlin official stated that Russia is in discussions with Syria's new leadership regarding the future of its military facilities in the region. Ursa Major's owner, Oboronlogistika, has been involved in transporting goods to Tartous, though Sparta's reported destination on Tuesday was Port Said, Egypt.

Marine transport monitoring site LSEG told the BBC that Ursa Major’s automatic identification system (AIS) indicated its destination as Vladivostok since December 11, though a previous trip in September showed it heading to Tartous.

On Monday, Ukrainian intelligence reported that Sparta had broken down off Portugal, though the issue was resolved. It's unclear whether this referred to Ursa Major, also known as Sparta III.

The cause of the explosion that led to Ursa Major sinking, near the Algerian port of Oran and Spain’s Águilas, remains unknown. However, a video taken from the tanker Ross Sea between 12:00-13:00 GMT on Monday, and verified by the BBC, showed the vessel listing heavily before sinking at around 01:20 GMT on Tuesday.

Built in 2009, Ursa Major had been sanctioned following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, due to its owner's involvement in delivering cargo for the Russian military. Oboronlogistika described Ursa Major as the flagship of its fleet, stating it was carrying 45-tonne hatch covers for icebreakers in addition to the large cranes for Vladivostok.