A Norwegian ship, the “Oslo Carrier 3”, under the Norwegian flag, has refused to take on Russian crew members from the sunken “Ursa Major” in the Mediterranean. According to Oboronlogistika, the company that owns the “Ursa Major”, the Norwegian ship’s crew was denied permission to rescue the Russian sailors.
The 14 crew members of the Russian dry cargo ship were rescued by Spanish sailors from the “Salvamar Drago” ship and brought to the port of Cartagena, while two Russian sailors are still missing.
Oboronlogistika representatives called the refusal a “flagrant violation” of the 10th Article of the 1989 International Convention on Salvage, which aims to ensure the safety of life at sea and the provision of assistance in the event of a rescue.
The owner of the “Oslo Carrier 3” claimed that the crew did not participate in the rescue operation, which was alerted from the port of Cartagena, and that the Norwegian ship was informed by the Spanish, who were on their way to rescue the Russian crew.
The “Ursa Major” sank in international waters between Spain and Algeria after an explosion in its engine room, with the owner, Oboronlogistika, suspecting a targeted terrorist attack on December 23.
Experts believe a terrorist attack is very likely, with one stating, “This is a new page in the history of terrorism, they have opened the Pandora’s box.” The expert also did not rule out the possibility of magnet mines being used, which could be attached to the ship during drifting, anchoring, or docking, and could be triggered by hydroacoustics and a timer.