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A Russian cargo ship operated by the Ministry of Defense’s logistics fleet sank on Tuesday in international waters between Spain and Algeria while traveling from St Petersburg to Vladivostok.

The ship, called Ursa Major, sank after an explosion in its engine room. Two crew members remain missing, while 14 others were rescued and taken to the Spanish port of Cartagena, Russia’s foreign ministry said.

At 142 meters long – roughly one and a half football pitches – the Ursa Major is the largest ship operated by Oboronlogistika, a logistics arm of the Russian military, and has a cargo capacity of up to 1,200 tonnes.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the defense ministry SAYS that the vessel previously carried cargo between Russia and Iran in the Caspian Sea before being diverted to routes linked to Syria.

The ship was carrying cranes and equipment for icebreakers in Vladivostok as part of a “state mission” to develop the Northern Sea Route, according to information on the Oboronlogistika website.

Moscow in recent years has championed the Northern Sea Route as a faster alternative to the Suez Canal for shipping to China, Russia’s biggest trading partner, which has become increasingly dependent on it in the face of sanctions by west.

The route lies within the Arctic Ocean but becomes more navigable during the summer months due to climate warming.

The average journey from the northern Russian port of Primorsk to China through the Suez Canal takes 45 days, while the Northern Sea Route reduces it to 35 days.