A Russian ship possibly carrying nuclear reactors to North Korea mysteriously exploded and sank 60 miles off the coast of Spain. The Ursa Major went down in the Mediterranean Sea on December 23, 2024, after suffering three explosions on its starboard side, according to a CNN investigation citing Spanish authorities and sources familiar with the probe.
CNN reported the vessel may have been transporting components for two submarine nuclear reactors to the North Korean port of Rason. The incident came just months after Kim Jong Un sent troops to support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Spain’s government later confirmed the Russian captain told investigators the cargo included “components for two nuclear reactors similar to those used in submarines”. According to CNN, the captain initially described the cargo as “manhole covers” before allegedly admitting their true nature under questioning. The vessel had departed from St Petersburg on December 11 with a public manifest listing two large cranes, 129 empty containers and two oversized “manhole covers”. The ship was officially bound for Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.
Investigators reportedly questioned why Russia would transport such limited cargo by sea across the globe when it could have used its own rail network.
The ship was escorted through European waters by two Russian military vessels, including the Ivan Gren and the Aleksandr Otrakovsky. Portuguese naval aircraft tracked the convoy before losing contact shortly before the explosions.
CNN reported the Ursa Major suddenly slowed in Spanish waters on December 22, but the crew initially denied being in distress. Around 24 hours later, the ship sharply changed course before issuing an emergency call.
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