Russia has ‘systemic problems’ with navy, says navy spokesman after Ursa Major explosion

On December 25, 2024By Littum

Russia has “systemic problems” maintaining its navy, Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said in a December 24 telecast.

Pletenchuk’s comments came a day after the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean after an explosion on board. The cause of the explosion is not yet known.

“(T)hey have systemic problems with maintenance,” Pletenchuk said in the air, as reported by Ukrinform.

“They should at least have them, considering that such vessels usually have many foreign-made elements, and usually it is about the engine room.”

The explosion aboard the Ursa Major reportedly occurred in the ship’s engine room just after noon on December 23, causing the vessel to list between Spain and Algeria. Fourteen crew members were rescued from the wreck shipand two are still missing.

Pletenchuk said Russia faces difficulties with both civilian and combat vessels.

“The Russians have a systemic problem,” Pletenchuk said.

“It is quite expectedly reflected in the general state of their fleet, whether the fleet is conventionally civilian or combat. If information cannot be conveyed as quickly and easily with the combat fleet because it is a more closed structure, then as far as the conventional civilian shipping of the Russians are on the surface, and sometimes even under the surface.”

Ursa Major was built in 2009 and was put under sanctions after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to its role in supplying cargo to the Russian military.

The Russian Independent News Media Jellyfishciting OSINT analysts, suggested the ship could be part of a Russian convoy evacuating military equipment from Syriabut this has not been confirmed.