A sanctioned Russian cargo vessel, Ursa Major, has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria following an engine room explosion, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed on December 24.

Fourteen crew members were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, while two remain missing. The incident occurred as the vessel passed between Oran, Algeria, and Aguilas, Spain. Unverified video footage showed the ship listing heavily on December 23 before its reported sinking.

The vessel, which departed St Petersburg 12 days ago according to Interfax, was reportedly carrying two 380-tonne cranes and 45-tonne hatch covers for icebreakers bound for Vladivostok, according to its owner Oboronlogistika.

However, the ship's final destination could not be independently verified.

The incident has drawn attention due to Ursa Major's presence in the same area as another sanctioned Russian vessel, Sparta.

Both ships had been spotted travelling through the English Channel last week, reportedly under escort. Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) had previously reported that Sparta was heading to Russia's naval base in Tartous, Syria, to evacuate military equipment following Bashar al-Assad's recent fall from power.

Adding to the complexity, Ursa Major was also known as Sparta III, creating some confusion in reports about which vessel had experienced mechanical problems off Portugal earlier this week.

Both ships belong to Oboronlogistika, a company sanctioned after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine due to its role in delivering cargo to the Russian military.

The sinking comes as Russia engages in discussions with Syria's new leadership regarding the future of its two military facilities in the country, according to a Kremlin official's statement.

Oboronlogistika has historically been heavily involved in transporting cargo to Russia's Tartous naval base.

The cause of the explosion that sank the 2009-built vessel remains unknown.