A Russian cargo ship that sank off the Spanish coast last year suffered multiple explosions while allegedly carrying two nuclear reactors believed to be bound for North Korea, according to a new CNN report, with investigators raising the possibility of Western involvement in the incident.

The Ursa Major, also known as the Sparta 3, sank about 60 miles off the coast of Spain on Dec. 23, 2024. Spanish investigators concluded the vessel appeared to have been struck by a rare type of torpedo that breached its hull, identifying the Barracuda supercavitating torpedo as the only weapon capable of inflicting such damage. The weapon is believed to be in the arsenals of the United States, Russia, Iran and a small number of NATO countries.

The ship’s Russian captain, Igor Anisimov, told Spanish investigators that the Ursa Major was hauling “components for two nuclear reactors similar to those used in submarines,” though he was unsure whether the reactors were loaded with atomic fuel, CNN reported. Anisimov said he believed the cargo was bound for the North Korean port of Rason.

The Ursa Major, which holds a license to carry atomic materials, departed Russia on Dec. 11, 2024. Its public manifest listed only empty shipping containers, two large cranes and two large “manhole covers,” with no mention of nuclear materials.

The voyage came two months after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un committed thousands of soldiers to help Russia retake its Kursk region following a Ukrainian counter-incursion. Analysts have long believed Russia is providing technical expertise to Pyongyang in exchange for the troops, with Kim seeking to develop a North Korean nuclear submarine.

European navies tracked the ship’s movements, with Portuguese aircraft monitoring the vessel and its military escorts before dropping the tail on Dec. 22. The ship then slowed off the Spanish coastline and, when contacted by Spanish rescuers, reported no problems.

Roughly 24 hours later, the Ursa Major issued an emergency call after three explosions near its engine room killed two crew members. A Russian military escort vessel, the Ivan Gren, arrived shortly afterward and ordered nearby ships to stay at least two nautical miles away, demanding that Spain return the rescued crew.

Spanish rescue crews were unable to enter the ship’s sealed engine room. The vessel initially appeared stable but sank after the Ivan Gren fired a series of flares overhead, followed by four additional explosions resembling underwater mines, according to CNN.

The ship’s owner, Oboronlogistics, said four days later that the vessel had been struck in a “targeted terrorist attack,” leaving a roughly 20-inch hole in the hull. A week after the incident, a Russian research vessel, the Yantar, arrived over the wreckage, after which four more explosions were detected on the seabed.

Spanish officials have told lawmakers that investigating the wreckage, which sits at 8,202 feet, would require significant technical resources and is too risky to attempt.

The U.S. military has deployed its WC-135R atmospheric collection aircraft, used to detect nuclear material, over the site twice, on Aug. 28, 2025, and again on Feb. 6 of this year, according to flight data. The Pentagon has not publicly explained the flights or said whether the aircraft detected any radiation.

With multiple governments silent on the incident, what the Ursa Major was carrying and what caused it to sink remain unclear.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)