How the URSA MAJOR navigates European waters to carry military cargo for russia
And where exactly its routes lie
The russian cargo vessel URSA MAJOR (‘Big Bear’), one among the officially registered vessels capable of transporting heavy military equipment, was spotted in the Syrian port of Tartus (leased by russia from Syria for 49 years since 2019), escorted by a warship. She later visited a port in Iran (see the photo below). These facts were revealed by Mind in cooperation with the NGO Eurostrategy's Investigative Journalism Centre as part of its monitoring of russian subversive groups in the EU.
Transportation and maintenance of the russian military industry is carried out, among others, by the private russian LLC Oboronlogistika, basically a huge logistics corporation subordinated to the russian Ministry of Defence, owning a large number of vessels, including the URSA MAJOR.
The company was sanctioned by the US and Ukraine in 2017-2018, Canada in 2019, and the EU and the UK in 2023. Moreover, the list of ships registered to Oboronlogistika is publicly available, making it easier to monitor their activities.
URSA MAJOR is one of the officially registered vessels that can transport heavy military equipment. It is 142 m long, 23 m wide, has a 6.6 m draft and a gross tonnage of 12,679 tonnes.
Having spotted this vessel in the Syrian port of Tartus and recalling the practice of her ‘sister ship’ Sparta IV, which in 2022-2023 did not hesitate to load military equipment for russia in the open without any conspiracy, we may assume that URSA MAJOR has the same intentions.
To remind: the russian cargo ship Sparta IV was spotted crossing the Bosphorus in May 2023, probably transporting equipment and ammunition from Syria. The photo of Sparta IV was published by Turkish researcher Yörük Işık. As noted, the vessel crossed the Bosphorus in the dark, and had been accompanied by the russian Navy's Project 20380 corvette Steregushchiy before entering the Bosphorus.
Such support indicates that it was carrying sensitive cargo. This ship with humanitarian aid arrived in Tartus after the earthquake in Syria. The aid was transported in shipping containers on deck. Later, the Sparta IV was loaded at the russian naval base in Tartus.
Since the URSA MAJOR was also escorted by a warship on its way from the Syrian port, it can be assumed that it was loaded with strategic military cargo in Syria.
The same applies to its route from Königsberg to Syria.
The ship, however, as can be seen from the route map, made it to Syria safely through European waters – notwithstanding the sanctions imposed by the EU against the owning company.
The question that remains open is what barter deals URSA MAJOR carried out for Syria, as she arrived at the port of Tartus fully loaded. At the time of publication, the vessel was still in the Syrian port.
Read also: How russia carries out maritime reconnaissance of the pipelines state in Britain, Denmark and Norway
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