Russia likely destroyed Ursa Major wreck in western Mediterranean — report

Furthermore, CNN’s investigation suggests that the cargo ship was sank by a Western military.

“The extraordinary fate of the Ursa Major has been shrouded in secrecy since it sank on December 23, 2024,” the report said.

“But it may mark a rare and high-stakes intervention by a Western military to prevent Russia from sending an upgrade in nuclear technology to a key ally, North Korea, CNN reporting suggests. The ship set sail just two months after Kim Jong Un had sent troops to assist with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.”

Damage to the vessel, the report said, could be consistent with the use of a Barracuda supercavitating torpedo, a weapon experts say is used by the United States and some NATO allies.

“The source familiar with the investigation said it concluded the use of such a device would fit with the size of the hole in the Ursa Major’s hull, and that it could have made a noiseless impact resulting in the sudden slowing of the boat on December 22,” CNN wrote.

A week after the sinking, Russian vessels returned to the site. Russian research vessel Yantar, which has been accused by NATO countries of spying and carrying out sabotage in NATO waters, hovered over the Ursa Major wreckage for five days, the source said. CNN said four more explosions were recorded after that, and that the wreckage may have been destroyed on the seabed.

“The secrets of its cargo, and how it came to sink, rest on the sea floor,” the report concluded.