An explosion has reportedly sunk a Russian fishing vessel, killing one person on board and leaving two missing.
Russian media reported Tuesday that the Kapitan Lobanov sank near the city of Pionersky in the Kaliningrad oblast in the Baltic Sea, which has been described as a “NATO Lake” following the expansion of the alliance in response to Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.
There are no reports suggesting the vessel’s sinking was anything other than an accident but pro-Ukrainian social media accounts posted details of the incident next to images of the vessel.
The trawler, which had seven people on board, was loaded with fish and left the Baltic Sea from the city of Svetly on Tuesday morning, heading for Baltiysk. An explosion in the morning caused a fire that the crew was unable to extinguish. They sent out a distress signal.
Preliminary information suggested the explosion took place in the 10-mile zone near the Kaliningrad coast. “At about 11 a.m., the ship sent a distress signal due to a fire on board. Rescuers went to the scene,” the 112 Telegram channel said.
Four of the seven crew members were rescued, taken ashore and sent to medical facilities. One sailor died, and two others are reportedly missing. A search operation is ongoing.
A spokesperson for the regional government said the fire was caused by “an emergency situation” without providing further details, according to the newspaper Kommersant.
“On behalf of the government of the region, we express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The wounded will be provided with all necessary medical care,” the statement said.
Newsweek reached out to the Kaliningrad governor’s office for comment.
The 112 Telegram channel said that the vessel had faced problems before, partially sinking in June 2021 when it fell on its side during an attempted launch near the village of Svetly, about 20 miles west of Kaliningrad.
There were no casualties then, but the incident prompted an inspection by the local prosecutor’s office, and the waters of Kaliningrad Bay were polluted with oil products.
Kaliningrad is an area of growing tension with the Russian exclave located in strategically significant territory on the Baltic coast.
It hosts military assets, including naval bases, airfields, and missile systems and is bordered by NATO members Lithuania and Poland. Following last month’s agreement to allow the accession of Sweden to the alliance, the region was described by some social media users as a “NATO Lake.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.