Norwegian ship snubbed sinking Russian vessel – owner

A Norwegian-flagged ship, Oslo Carrier 3, declined to retrieve Russian sailors from their sinking vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, the Ursa Major, its owner Oboronlogistics LLC has alleged. The company described the refusal as a violation of maritime law.

The Russian freighter went down in waters between Spain and Algeria on Monday. Oboronlogistics claimed it was damaged in a “terrorist attack,” which included “three successive explosions” on board.

Spanish rescue vessels recovered 14 crew members, with two still missing. However, the crew could have been rescued by another ship, but this did not happen for an unknown reason, the company’s press office told RIA Novosti on Friday.

”The lifeboat [carrying the Russian sailors] was heading toward the Norwegian-flagged ship Oslo Carrier 3, which was nearby,” it stated. “Upon approaching the vessel, the Norwegian ship, which is manned by a partly Russian-speaking crew, refused to accept the Ursa Major sailors, citing some kind of prohibition.”

Oboronlogistics denounced the refusal as blatant violation of maritime law, under which vessels are obligated to assist those in distress at sea unless doing so puts their own crew at significant risk.

Oslo-based Bulkship Management AS, which operates Oslo Carrier 3, has yet to comment on the allegations.

Oboronlogistics LLC is under Western sanctions for its links to the Russian defense sector. However, the sanctions include explicit exemptions for maritime safety or when the health or safety of the crew of sanctioned vessels is at risk.

Built in 2009, the 142-meter-long Ursa Major was one of the largest Russian cargo vessels, with a gross tonnage of approximately 12,600 tons. It was en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, carrying several specialized pieces of port and ship construction equipment.

While neither Oboronlogistics nor Russian officials have named the culprit of the alleged “terrorist attack,” the incident comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine conflict, with Kiev having a history of attacking Russian ships in the Black Sea.