It sank: another Putin's bucket went to the bottom.

Explosion on a Russian ship in the Mediterranean: two sailors killed

As a result of the explosion on the Russian ship Ursa Major in the Mediterranean Sea, two crew members were killed, raising doubts about the state of the Russian fleet. The incident occurred near the shores of Spain, off Cartagena.

According to The Maritime Executive, 14 sailors were rescued, but two are still considered missing.

The representative of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, clarified that the cause of the accident may be systemic issues with the maintenance of the ships. He noted that technical malfunctions are increasingly being discovered on Russian ships due to the use of foreign components in the engine room.

“According to available information, these two crew members will likely not be found. They most likely died during the explosion in the engine room,” Pletenchuk said.

Pletenchuk also noted that such incidents indicate the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russia and their impact on the state of the Russian fleet.

“This applies to both military and civilian vessels. Information about civilian ships is becoming increasingly accessible, indicating systemic problems in the Russian shipping industry,” he emphasized.

The Ursa Major was known for its involvement in the “Syria Express” - a route supplying Russian troops in Syria. After the explosion, which caused the ship to list, it sank. Although analysts suggested that the ship could have been involved in the evacuation of Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim, this information was not confirmed, and the freighter was heading to Vladivostok.

This explosion and other maritime incidents that have recently occurred with the Russian fleet indicate systematic degradation of the fleet due to sanctions and limited access to quality maintenance.