**Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean After Explosion**
A Russian cargo ship has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea after an explosion onboard. The Foreign Ministry of Russia confirmed the incident on December 24.
The explosion happened on December 23, just after midday, on the Ursa Major ship. It caused the ship to list between Spain and Algeria. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.
**Rescue Operation Underway**
A rescue operation was launched by vessels including a Russian military ship and a Spanish Navy patrol boat. Fourteen crew members were rescued, but two remain missing.
The Ursa Major was built in 2009 and had been sanctioned due to its owner’s role in supplying cargo to the Kremlin’s military. It left St. Petersburg on December 11 and was supposed to arrive in Vladivostok on January 22.
**Possible Connection to Russian Military Operations**
There are reports that the Ursa Major may have been part of a Russian convoy evacuating military equipment from Syria. Another Russian ship, the Sparta, is also operating in the Mediterranean Sea near where the Ursa Major sank.
Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed that another Russian cargo ship, the Sparta, had broken down and was drifting in the Mediterranean Sea on December 23. The Ursa Major and Sparta are both owned by Oboronlogistics, a company that has been linked to Russian military operations.
**Other News**
In other news, Russia launched 60 drones at Ukraine overnight from three different cities. Fourteen crew members were rescued from the sunken cargo ship, while two remain missing.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Millerovo hosts a military airbase used to attack Ukraine. The Verkhovna Rada is drafting a bill to allow Ukrainian students to freely cross Ukraine’s borders once they have entered the country from abroad.