**Russian Cargo Vessel Stranded in Open Sea**
A Russian cargo vessel sent to Syria to transport military equipment has broken down and is now drifting near the coast of Portugal. Ukraine‘s military intelligence, HUR, made this claim on December 23.
According to HUR, the cargo ship Sparta experienced a fuel pipe failure in its main engine. The Russian crew is trying to fix the problem, but the vessel is currently adrift in the open sea at a slow speed of just over 1 knot.
**Marine Traffic Monitors Confirm Vessel’s Existence**
Marine traffic monitors have confirmed the existence of a cargo ship called Ursa Major, which matches the description and photo published by HUR. The Ursa Major is sailing under the Russian flag and was previously registered as Sparta III.
**Russia Evacuating Military Assets from Syria**
Russia has begun evacuating its military assets from Syria, with Ukraine’s military intelligence claiming that Russia now only has two bases in the country: Khmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base. HUR claims that losing these bases would significantly damage Russia’s presence in the Middle East.
**Ukraine Receives $9.8 Billion in IMF Aid**
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has disbursed a sixth tranche of aid to Ukraine, bringing the total amount provided so far to $9.8 billion under the Extended Fund Facility program.
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