Sunken Russian ship was carrying nuclear reactor parts: Report

A Russian cargo ship that sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean under unusual circumstances last year is believed to have been carrying parts for a type of naval nuclear reactor, according to a new report.

Spanish newspaper La Verdad has reported that investigators suspect the cargo was bound for North Korea to support its naval modernization efforts.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry and the North Korean embassy in China via email for comment.

Ursa Major was known as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet”—vessels believed to be involved in arms and oil smuggling, often in violation of international sanctions.

The United States, South Korea, and several other governments have long suspected Pyongyang of receiving Russian technical expertise in return for munitions and, reportedly, troops for President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.