Russian cargo ship sinks in the Mediterranean, leaving 2 crew missing

A Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria, leaving two crew members missing, Spain's maritime rescue agency and the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Fourteen of the Ursa Major's crew were rescued uninjured from a lifeboat and transferred to Spain, the agency said. The Russian ministry said the ship started sinking following an explosion in the engine room.

The vessel was owned by SK-Yug, a subsidiary of the Russian shipping and logistics company Oboronlogistika, which was established under Russia's defense ministry and placed under U.S. and European Union sanctions for its ties to Russia's military.