Russian ship with nuclear reactors sank under mysterious circumstances in Spain
A Russian freighter carrying two nuclear reactors for submarines sank in circumstances not yet fully clarified at Mediterrâneo, about 60 miles off the Spanish coast, on December 23, 2024. The Ursa Major suffered a series of explosions and was destroyed in mysterious operations that may represent a rare Western military intervention to prevent the supply of advanced nuclear technology from Rússia to Coreia of the Norte. The Spanish investigation revealed alarming details about the incident, including the possible role of a high-speed supercavitating torpedo in damaging the hull.
Ursa Major’s story has been shrouded in secrecy since his disappearance over a year ago. The ship set sail from Ust-Luga, on Golfo of Finlândia, on December 11, 2024, with a public manifest indicating destination at Vladivostok, on Russian Extremo Oriente. The official cargo listed two large Liebherr winches, 129 empty containers and two large “well caps”. However, investigations revealed that the Russian captain, Igor Anisimov, was transporting components of two nuclear reactors similar to those used on submarines, possibly without loaded nuclear fuel.
Primeiras explosions and sequence of events in Mediterrâneo
The ship sailed off the French coast and was tracked by Marinha Portuguesa through its waters. Duas Russian military vessels, the Ivan Gren and the Aleksandr Otrakovsky, escorted the ship during its crossing. On the morning of December 22, Marinha Portuguesa lost visual contact with the cargo ship after routinely monitoring it in its territorial waters.
In Spanish waters, approximately four hours later, Ursa Major began to drastically slow down. Spanish Socorristas initiated radio communication to check whether the vessel was in danger, as reported by the Spanish government investigation conducted by local maritime authorities in Cartagena. The crew responded that everything was fine and that there were no problems on board. The answer would be from the ship’s last normal communications.
Cerca 24 hours later, on December 23, Ursa Major deviated drastically from its course. Às 11:53 UTC, the ship issued an urgent call for help. Havia suffered three explosions on the starboard side, probably near the engine room. The impact was catastrophic: two crew members were killed — identified as Segundo Mecânico Nikitin and Mecânico Yakovlev, whose bodies were never recovered. The ship began to list dangerously and lost its ability to move.
Follow: all about Maritime research
The 14 surviving crew members were evacuated in a lifeboat and later rescued by Salvamar Draco, a Spanish rescue vessel. A Spanish military ship arrived at 19:27 UTC to offer assistance. However, thirty minutes later, Ivan Gren, one of the Russian military ships escorting the freighter, ordered all nearby vessels to maintain a distance of two nautical miles. Pouco later requested that the rescued crew be immediately returned to Rússia.
The mystery of the supercavitating torpedo and hull perforation
The Spanish investigation focused on understanding what caused the initial explosions. The Russian captain said he did not hear any impact or detonation on December 22, when his ship abruptly slowed. The explosions that caused catastrophic damage occurred just 24 hours later, on the morning of December 23.
Spanish experts discovered a hole measuring 50 centimeters by 50 centimeters in the hull of Ursa Major. Este hole had very particular characteristics: the metal was facing inside the ship, suggesting a high-energy impact coming from the outside. The investigation proposes that the damage was caused by a supercavitating Barracuda torpedo, a high-speed weapon that shoots air in front of the warhead to reduce water resistance, allowing it to reach extraordinary speeds.
Apenas, Estados Unidos, some NATO allies, Rússia and Irã have the knowledge and capacity to develop this type of torpedo. The supercavitating device is capable of creating a silent and extremely fast impact. The investigation suggests that such an impact would explain why the ship slowed dramatically on the 22nd, without the crew reporting any audible explosion.
Defense Analistas consulted by the international press offered alternative explanations. Mike Plunkett, senior naval platforms analyst at Janes Intelligence, a company specializing in defense intelligence, proposed that a limpet mine was a more likely explanation for the size and location of the hole. A limpet mine, according to his analysis, would function as an explosive device with a shaped charge placed against the hull by a person or equipment. Apesar Of these theories, no benevolent explanation was offered for the initial explosions that struck the vessel.
Russian Intervenção and final destruction of the ship
Às 21:50 UTC on December 23, upon the arrival of Spanish rescuers, Ivan Gren fired a series of red flares over the scene. Quatro explosions followed immediately after. Rede Nacional of Sismógrafos of Espanha recorded four identical seismic signatures at the same time and in the same approximate area. The pattern of vibrations resembled underwater mines or quarry detonations on land. Às 23:10 UTC, Ursa Major was reported sunk according to sources familiar with the Spanish investigation.
A week after the sinking, according to the same source, the Russian Marinha returned to the scene of the incident. The ship Yantar officially described as a Russian research vessel but accused by NATO countries of espionage and disruption operations in Atlantic waters remained over the site of the destroyed ship for five days. Antes upon its departure, four new explosions were detected, possibly aimed at the remains of Ursa Major on the seabed approximately 2,500 meters deep.
See Also
Google must allow alternative app stores on Android phones by legal determination
Galaxy Z Fold8 is difficult to repair and raises durability alert for users
Police are looking for ex-stepfather after 14-year-old girl was killed in Encantado
Dados marine tracking provided by business intelligence firm Kpler shows that Yantar was in the area during January 2025. The ship anchored at Egito and then Argélia, and transmitted a positioning signal 20 miles from Ursa Major’s last known position on January 15.
Possível target on Norte’s Coreia and nuclear technology sharing
The claim that Norte’s Coreia was the likely destination of the two reactors gained weight when the totalist regime released images in December 2025 of its first nuclear submarine. Photographs show leader Kim Jong Un smiling next to the vessel’s sealed hull. Não there is visual evidence that there is a working nuclear reactor inside. The ship was labeled as an 8,700-ton vessel equipped with nuclear propulsion.
Mike Plunkett of Janes described the transfer of nuclear technology from Rússia to Coreia of Norte as an extraordinary action. Qualquer’s decision to share such technology is not “undertaken lightly and is something that only happens between very close allies,” he said. If true, it would represent a major move by Moscou. Plunkett described such development as “very concerning, particularly if you are Coreia of Sul.”
Full coverage: Latest News (EN)
The Spanish investigation notes Coreia’s status as a Russian strategic ally. Desde October 2024, at least 10,000 North Korean troops were sent to fight alongside Rússia in the Ucrânia invasion, including operations in the Kursk region. Pyongyang reportedly openly asked Moscou to share its nuclear technical expertise. Tais demands likely increased following the deployment of North Korean troops into direct combat.
The investigation suggests that the reactors transported were the VM-4SG model, often found on Russian Delta IV class nuclear submarines carrying ballistic missiles. Evidências documentation to support such a claim is limited in the available research.
Presenças US military and unresolved issues
Imagens satellite images obtained from Vantor show the Ursa Major anchored at the eastern end of the port of Ust-Luga, in the Golfo of Finlândia, on December 4, 2024. Vídeos geolocated time-lapse images posted on the ship owners’ social media account, Oboronlogistics, show containers being loaded and winches being positioned at the site.
The American Força Aérea showed particular interest in the incident area. Rare and sophisticated military Aeronaves, known as WC135-R and based on Nebraska, has flown over the site twice since the sinking of Ursa Major. The flyovers took place on August 28, 2024 and February 6, 2025. Dados flight reports confirm operations. A spokesperson for the 55th Offutt base, Kris Pierce, confirmed that this aircraft’s usual role “supports collection and analysis of nuclear debris.” Pierce added: “We are unable to provide additional details regarding specific mission routes, mission discoveries, or any related partner coordination.”
Outro WC135-R followed a similar route 13 months before the sinking of Ursa Major, suggesting that interest in the area may have predated the incident or been routine operational. Permanece uncertain whether these two expensive and rare flybys found evidence of contamination of Ursa Major’s remains. The Spanish government has provided no indication that there is radiation along its southern coast, a popular tourist destination, and no evidence of contamination has emerged so far.
Questões public safety and lack of transparency
The Spanish government remained remarkably silent about the incident after the initial sinking. Apenas on February 23, under pressure from opposition lawmakers, the government released an official statement confirming that the Russian captain had informed investigators about the components of the nuclear reactors. The captain expressed uncertainty about whether the reactors were loaded with nuclear fuel.
The captain was asked “under pressure to clarify what he meant by ‘well caps,'” the items originally listed in the ship’s manifest, according to the government statement to opposition lawmakers. “He finally confessed that they were the components of two nuclear reactors similar to those used by submarines. According to his testimony, and without being able to confirm, they did not contain nuclear fuel.”
The Russian crew was returned to Rússia days after the rescue. Quatro Days after the sinking, the ship’s owner, Oboronlogistics, described the incident as a “targeted terrorist attack” and claimed there had been three explosions. The company stated that a 50 centimeter by 50 centimeter hole was found in the hull, with the damaged metal pointing inward. “The ship’s deck was covered in shrapnel,” the company statement added.
Perguntas on why recovery of the ship’s data recorder remains impossible from a depth of 2,500 meters has generated skepticism among experts and policymakers. Juan Antonio Rojas Manrique, a Spanish lawmaker and former merchant ship captain, expressed doubts: “When someone does not clearly and completely provide the information you request, you at least suspect that they are hiding something.” Rojas questioned why the government considers the rescue too risky if no radioactive material is involved, noting that “black boxes usually float to the surface with a locator to be found in any accident.”
