FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A Russian cargo ship that Ukraine claims was sent to Syria to collect weapons has sunk in the Mediterranean Sea, according to officials in Moscow.
Two crew members are missing after an engine room explosion later sank the Ursa Major between Spain and Algeria, the foreign ministry said. While 14 people were rescued and sent to Spain.
Ukrainian military intelligence claimed yesterday that the ship had been sent to Syria to remove weapons and military equipment after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
In a Telegram post, the agency said the vessel broke down near Portugal, but the crew was able to "correct the problem and continue through the Strait of Gibraltar".
Ship tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) shows that the vessel left the Russian port of St Petersburg on 11 December.
It was last seen sending a signal at 22:04 GMT on Monday between Algeria and Spain.
The operator and owner of the vessel is a company called SK-Yug, part of the transport and logistics company Oboronlogistics, according to LSEG data.
Assad fled to Moscow from Syria earlier this month after rebels seized the capital Damascus in a lightning offensive that ended his family's five-decade rule.
In recent weeks, Russia has withdrawn its army from the front lines in northern Syria, and Assad's departure has called into question the future of Moscow's bases in the country, the Hmeimim air base in Latakia and the Tartous naval facility.
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