ロシア貨物船沈没、「テロ行為」が原因　船主の親会社が主張

【モスクワＡＦＰ＝時事】ロシア国防省傘下の運輸・物流会社オボロンロギスチカは２５日、子会社が所有する貨物船「ウルサ・マヨール」が地中海で沈没したことについて、「テロ行為」が原因だとの見解を示した。（写真は、ロシアの貨物船「ウルサ・マヨール」。ポルトガル沖で。同国海軍提供）
　ロシアの報道機関によると、オボロンロギスチカは「２０２４年１２月２３日にウルサ・マヨールを標的としたテロ攻撃が行われたとみている」との声明を発表。誰による犯行か、またその動機については示さなかった。
　貨物船は２３日にスペイン南東部の沖合から遭難信号を発信。２４日早朝に地中海の公海に沈没した。
　ロシア外務省の危機管理部門は２４日、機関室での爆発後に船が沈没したと発表した。
　オボロンロギスチカは、沈没前に船で「３連続の爆発」があったとしている。テロ攻撃が沈没原因だと結論付ける証拠には言及しなかった。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/12/26-16:55）

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 Oboronlogistika company said it thinks a targeted terrorist attack was committed on December 23, 2024, against the Ursa Major, it said in a statement cited by Russian news agencies, without indicating who may have been behind the act or why.
The ship sank in international waters off Spain in the early hours of Tuesday after having sent a distress call for help on Monday.
Three consecutive explosions took place on the ship before it began taking on water, added the company, which belongs to the Russian defence ministry.
Oboronlogistika did not say what evidence it had allowing it to conclude a terrorist attack sank the Ursa Major.
Russian foreign ministry's crisis unit said on Telegram on Tuesday that the ship sank after an explosion in the engine room.
It added that out of the 16 Russian crew members on board, 14 had been rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena and two were missing.
An office of Russia's Investigative Committee, which carries out the major probes in the country, said Tuesday it had opened an investigation into possible maritime transport security regulations violations.
The sinking of the Ursa Major came after a Russian tanker transporting fuel oil partially sunk in a strait between Moscow-annexed Crimea and southern Russia on December 16, causing a major oil spill.
The ship sent a distress call Monday morning from off the coast of southeastern Spain in bad weather, reporting it was listing and sailors had launched a lifeboat, Spain's sea rescue service said in a statement.
Spain sent out a helicopter and rescue boats and took the survivors to port, the service said.
A Russian warship then arrived and took charge of the rescue operation since the ship was between Spanish and Algerian waters, after which the Ursa Major sank overnight.
The Ursa Major is listed on MarineTraffic.com as a 124.7-metre (409-foot) long general cargo ship
It is owned by a subsidiary of Russia's Oboronlogistika, which belongs to the defence ministry and also provides civilian transport and logistics, the Russian foreign ministry said.
- US-sanctioned ship -
The Ursa Major was sailing from the Russian city of Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok in Russia's Far East.
Last week Oboronlogistika issued a press release with photos of the ship in port, saying it was to transport a particularly large and heavy load: cranes each weighing 380 tonnes and hatch covers for icebreakers each weighing 45 tonnes to Vladivostok.
It said this was part of state efforts to develop ports and the northern sea route via the Arctic.
Delivery by sea is best for such bulky equipment and the company has great experience in this, it said.
Agentstvo investigative news site wrote that the hatch covers were for a vaunted new nuclear icebreaker called Lider, designed to break thick ice on the northern sea route.
The United States in 2022 imposed sanctions on Oboronlogistika and ships including the Ursa Major for providing transportation services... for the delivery of cargo to Russian-occupied Crimea.
This means any US organisation dealing with the company or its ships would risk sanctions.
Ukraine's GUR military intelligence said the Ursa Major was also used to supply Russian troops in Syria where Moscow has a naval base at Tartus.
A map on Oboronologistika's website shows the company among other things covers a route from Novorossiysk, in southern Russia, to Tartus, Russia's naval base in Syria.
There is uncertainty over the future of Russia's bases in Syria after the removal of Moscow ally Bashar al-Assad.