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 has described the refusal as a violation of maritime law.
The Russian freighter sank between Spain and Algeria on Monday, having been filmed listing badly. Oboronlogistics has claimed the vessel was damaged in a “terrorist attack” involving “three successive explosions” on board.
The crew abandoned ship and launched their lifeboat towards the nearby Oslo Carrier 3. However, they were not allowed board the vessel, the Oboronlogistics 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.”
Spanish rescue vessels, however, recovered 14 crew members alive. Two are still missing.
Oboronlogistics has denounced the Notwegian crew's refusal as a 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 naval 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.
