RUSSIAN OFFICIALS CLAIM NORWEGIAN SHIP REFUSED TO RESCUE RUSSIAN CREW, ASFINLAND INVESTIGATES SHIP FOR CABLE SABOTAGE
Russian Deputy Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev on Friday accused a Norwegian-flagged ship of refusing to rescue Russian sailors from a sinking cargo vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, as reported by Reuters.
The Russian Defense Ministry’s cargo ship, Ursa Major, faced problems on Monday and subsequently sank between Spain and Algeria. Fourteen out of its 16-person crew were rescued onto a lifeboat. The ship’s owner, "Oboronlogistika," blamed "terrorist acts" for three explosions that tore the ship apart and punctured its hull.
The Spanish Maritime Rescue Service confirmed they received a distress signal from Ursa Major on Monday and dispatched two ships and a helicopter to the scene.
Medvedev blasted the Oslo Carrier 3, a Norwegian-flagged ship, claiming it refused to take onboard the distressed Russian sailors as their ship sank. "What more needs to be explained? This cannot be forgiven!" Medvedev wrote on his official Telegram channel.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, "If assistance was indeed not provided to the sailors in distress at sea, this is contrary to all maritime laws and is an outrageous incident that deserves full condemnation."
However, Bulkship Management AS, the company owning Oslo Carrier 3, denied the accusations and stated they had provided assistance. "MRCC (Spanish Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) ordered the captain not to take on board the crew from the distressed ship, as their lifeboat was on its way," they claimed. "The weather was good, no one in the lifeboat was injured, and there was no immediate danger."
Meanwhile, Finnish authorities seized a Russian oil tanker in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, suspecting it of damaging an undersea cable connecting Finland and Estonia the previous day, also disabling four internet lines.
"From our perspective, we are investigating a serious case of sabotage," announced Robin Lardot, director of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
This incident comes as Estonia announced plans to protect its undersea electrical cable, Estlink 1, following the deterioration of another cable connecting it to Finland on Wednesday.
