Monday, December 29, 2025 2:00:05 PM

The incident involving the Russian vessel “Bolshaya Medveditsa” (Ursa Major) occurred December 21–22, 2024, about 110 kilometers off the Spanish city of Cartagena, analysts at the outlet La Verdad reported. Investigators say the cargo was illegal because it was a strategic shipment bound for sanctioned North Korea.

The Russian ship slowed and told Spanish controllers nothing unusual had happened. Later, it emerged the vessel had suffered a breach from two strikes, according to La Verdad. Spanish investigators determined the civilian ship was part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” transporting military cargo, and that Russian Armed Forces personnel were involved in concealing the incident.

Spanish police and La Verdad reporters reconstructed the events in the Strait of Gibraltar in the winter of 2024. On December 21, controllers registered the moment the “Bolshaya Medveditsa” was hit, but the crew did not call for help. On December 22 at 15:10, the ship slowed and headed toward the nearest port, while the captain continued to insist everything was fine. A mayday call finally went out on December 23 at 11:53. The outlet published a photo of the “Bolshaya Medveditsa” after a drone or torpedo strike: the ship was listing to starboard, with no obvious external damage.

Authorities questioned Captain Igor Anisimov, who said he did not understand what caused the incident. Fourteen crew members boarded a lifeboat, while two others — the second chief engineer Nikitin and mechanic Yakovlev — disappeared after explosions in the engine room. The ship was reportedly carrying empty containers and a cargo crane, raising questions: why ship by sea what would be cheaper to move by rail? During an inspection, two blue containers were noted on board; the captain did not explain their purpose. Inside was cargo set to travel 15,000 km from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok. According to investigators cited by the outlet, the shipment consisted of two VM-4SG nuclear reactors that Russia sent to North Korea.

Journalists published an infographic detailing the incident. It marks a likely impact point and shows the ship continuing under way after the strike, gradually slowing while assuring controllers the vessel was fine. Inspectors found holes about 50 centimeters in diameter. The metal edges were bent inward, supporting the theory the strike came from outside. Police report 8059/24-Escora noted such holes could not have been caused by torpedoes, suggesting other weapons were used.

On December 23, the Russian Navy landing ship “Ivan Gren” approached the “Bolshaya Medveditsa.” After that, all lights went out on both Russian vessels, while red lights came on, which blinded the infrared channels of reconnaissance satellites. At 21:57:00 and 21:58:30 on December 23, three explosions were heard with a yield equivalent to 20–50 kilograms of TNT. The cargo ship then sank to a depth of 2,500 meters. In January 2025, the Russian research vessel “Yantar” arrived at the site and is suspected of having recovered the secret cargo.

“Russian media reported the attack and suggested that Ukrainian special operations forces may be responsible,” the article says.

Ukrainian security services have not commented on the incident in the Mediterranean that occurred a year ago, on December 21, 2024, involving Russia’s “Bolshaya Medveditsa.”

The “Bolshaya Medveditsa” (Ursa Major) is a cargo ship operated by the Russian company Oboronlogistika that has carried shipments to occupied Crimea, Kaliningrad, the Arctic, Syria and elsewhere. The ship was built in 2009 and has changed names four times. Its final voyage, which ended on the seabed, was from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, near ports in North Korea — a country with which Russia has signed a military cooperation and support agreement. The ship’s cargo could have reached North Korea by sea via the port of Rason or by rail through the Russian border town of “Jasán” (Khasan), the article notes.

(C)UAWIRE 2025