A Russian cargo ship named Ursa Major sank about 60 miles off the Spanish coast on December 23, 2024, following multiple unexplained explosions. According to a CNN investigative report, the vessel was likely carrying two nuclear reactors intended for North Korean submarines. The incident has been described as potentially indicating direct Western military intervention to prevent Russia from transferring advanced nuclear technology to its ally North Korea.

Fourteen Russian crew members survived and were taken to the port city of Cartagena, where Spanish police questioned them. Opposition lawmakers said the ship’s captain initially refused to discuss the cargo but later admitted that items listed as “manhole covers” were actually parts of submarine nuclear reactors. The ship’s owner, Oboronlogistics, later called the event a “planned terrorist attack,” reporting three explosions and a 50-by-50-centimeter inward-bent hole in the hull.

CNN’s report added that the damage might have been caused by a Barracuda supercavitating torpedo, a weapon known to exist only in a few countries, including the United States, some NATO allies, Russia, and Iran.