A Russian cargo vessel that sank in the Mediterranean Sea was attacked by a rare supercavitating torpedo.

The weapon is a cigar-shaped vessel that is self-propelled underwater from submarines, surface ships, or aircrafts to destroy other ships or submarines.

Also referred to as “fish,” these vessels operate via electric or thermal propulsion and utilize advanced guidance systems (such as wire guidance or acoustic homing) to attack targets miles away.

The Russian cargo named “Ursa Major” was attacked in December 2024, suffering multiple explosions.

As reported by CNN, the torpedo is possessed by NATO members, Russia, and Iran.

On December 23, the vessel sank before going down roughly 600 miles off Spain’s coast. Resultantly, two crew members were killed; 14 others were rescued.

Experts who studied a 50-by-50-centimeter hole in the ship’s hull suspected that the hole could have resulted from a supercavitating torpedo of the Barracuda class. 

Such a weapon uses air bubbles to minimize drag underwater and operate at extreme speed.

The vessel abruptly reduced its speed while passing through Spanish waters on December 22, although nothing was reported by the crew. Around 24 hours later, the survivors reported an explosion near the engine room. 

Upon boarding the ship, rescuers found that the engine room doors had been securely shut. Later, further explosions occurred, culminating in the sinking of the ship.

As reported by Spain’s National Seismic Network, four seismic events near the ship were recorded. These events were similar to patterns consistent with underwater explosive devices.

It is also reported that the vessel was heading to North Korea to transport two submarine nuclear reactors.

After the sinking incident, the US WC-135R “nuclear sniffer” aircraft flew over the wreck site twice. A week later, another Russian vessel described by Western officials as an intelligence-linked ship also visited the area.

King Charles, who always put on a brave face despite his cancer battle, has commented on the side effects of chemotherapy, making royal fans emotional.

On Monday, the monarch visited Guy’s Cancer Centre to celebrate 300 years of the hospital during his own health struggles.

He learned about meaningful cancer research projects from Guy’s Hospital and King’s College, London during the visit.

Charles inspected the robotics technology helping in medical procedures.

But the heartfelt interactions with cancer patients became a highlight of the event.

He spoke with patients while touring Chemotherapy Village.

Among them was Raymond Burgees, who talked about how chemotherapy leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

As per Royal Central, the King responded, “It’s an awful sort of metallic taste. It doesn’t exactly help with eating.”

For the unversed, Buckingham Palace announced in 2024 that King Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer.

In December 2025, the monarch shared that the regularity of his treatment is going to be reduced, hinting that his health is going in a positive direction.

The King “thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to doctors’ orders, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the new year.”

However, despite better ongoing treatment, Andrew and Harry’s tensions have reportedly taken a toll on the monarch’s health. 

Buckingham Palace released a message from King Charles for “brilliant doctors” amid his ongoing cancer treatment.

The monarch, who has been diagnosed with undisclosed form of cancer since early 2024, has taken more initiatives to address the struggles of survivors and the acknowledge the medical team and healthcare staff for their work.

Charles, who is a patron of King’s College London, stepped out to visit the NHS hospital using new technology to treat patients.

“A big thank you to all the brilliant doctors, nurses and healthcare staff who work to save lives and support wellbeing, as we celebrate the 300th anniversary of Guy’s Hospital,” the message from the King’s team read.

“At the hospital’s Cancer Centre, The King spent time with chemotherapy patients, nurses and doctors. This year marks six decades of oncology at Guy’s, and the centre consolidates services once spread across 13 sites,” it continued.

“At the King’s College Innovation Hub, His Majesty, who is Patron of King’s College London, heard how professors and students are using AI and robotics to treat patients, and to train the next generation of specialists who are shaping the future of cancer research.”