Owner of sunk Russian ship says Norwegian vessel refused to rescue crew

The Norwegian vessel Oslo Carrier 3 refused to take aboard Russian sailors from the sinking cargo ship Ursa Major, according to the ship’s owner, Oboronlogistika, a company under Russia’s Defense Ministry.

“The lifeboat [carrying Russian sailors] headed toward the Norwegian-flagged vessel Oslo Carrier 3, which was nearby. As the lifeboat approached, the Norwegian ship — whose crew included some Russian speakers — refused to accept the Ursa Major crew, citing some kind of prohibition,” Oboronlogistika’s press service told RIA Novosti.

The crew of the Russian cargo ship was eventually rescued by Spanish sailors from the Salvamar Drago.

The Ursa Major sank on December 23 in the Mediterranean Sea in international waters between Spain and Algeria. Spanish media reported that there was an explosion in the engine room, after which the ship sent out a distress signal. The rescue operation was led by a Russian military vessel.

Oboronlogistika claimed that the Ursa Major was the target of a “deliberate terrorist attack.” Mediazona noted that the ship had been used for years to transport supplies for Russia’s military operations in Syria.