A Russian cargo ship that sank off the coast of Spain in December 2024 may have been carrying submarine nuclear reactor components to North Korea, CNN reported on May 12, citing a Spanish investigation and sources familiar with it. The ship, the Ursa Major, suffered several explosions before sinking about 60 miles (97 kilometers) off the Spanish coast.

North Korea has earned an estimated $13 billion over the past three years by providing military assistance to Russia, including weapons and manpower, Nikkei Asia reported on May 11, citing South Korean intelligence. In exchange, Pyongyang is believed to have received hard currency, energy supplies and critical military technologies, while Russia and North Korea signed a mutual defense treaty in 2024. CNN reported that the Ursa Major's Russian captain told Spanish investigators the cargo included components for two reactors similar to those used in submarines, though he could not confirm whether they contained nuclear fuel, and that Spanish investigators assessed the ship may have been headed to North Korea's Rason port.