Sunken Russian ship near Spain may have carried nuclear reactors to North Korea — CNN
Photo: The Ursa Major sank off the coast of Spain (Russian media)
A Russian cargo ship that sank off the coast of Spain in December 2024 may have been carrying nuclear reactor components for North Korea, according to CNN.
The Ursa Major departed from St. Petersburg and was officially headed to Vladivostok. On December 22, 2024, a series of explosions occurred on board, after which the ship sent out a distress signal and sank. Two crew members were killed.
The ship’s captain told Spanish investigators that components of two nuclear reactors were on board, presumably for a submarine.
According to the captain, the ship’s route may have been changed even before the sinking. The final destination was supposed to be North Korea.
This aligns with subsequent events: just one year after the sinking, North Korea announced the construction of its first nuclear submarine.
CNN also notes Russia’s behavior following the incident. For several days, the Russian research vessel Yantar remained near the site where the Ursa Major sank. After that, four more explosions were recorded in the same area.
In January 2026, the British Navy expelled another suspicious Russian ship from the Bristol Channel, which had been anchored near undersea communication cables connecting the United Kingdom and the United States.
Russia continues to lose its fleet. In April 2026, drones from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Alpha Special Operations Center struck three Russian military ships in Crimea, the large landing ships Yamal and Azov, as well as a vessel of an unidentified type.
