Iran and Russia routinely exploit the Caspian Sea as a naval route for conveying armaments.
Cargo ship in the Caspian Sea. Illustrative image / © from social media
The Iranian freighter Caspian Shiva, en route to the Russian harbor of Makhachkala in Dagestan, sustained a breach in the Caspian Sea and commenced sinking.
This is according to a report by the MNS publication, referencing its own informants.
The publication’s informants do not indicate the reason for the perforation, but they mention that the vessel became grounded post-incident and water is currently flooding the engine bay and cargo deck.
There are 10 sailors onboard, however, their retrieval is challenging owing to weather conditions. A tempest is brewing in the Caspian Sea and swell altitudes attain 2 meters.
A number of tugboats from Rossmorport are ready to assist, however, they are unable to get close to the craft. The lives of the crew are endangered as the ship persists in flooding.
Information suggests that Iran and Russia regularly utilize the Caspian Sea as a marine passage for shipping weapons, munitions, parts, and modern UAVs for the hostilities with Ukraine.
It is plausible that the military freight being transported by the Iranian vessel triggered the “unidentified” rupture it encountered.
Note that a fortnight prior, the Iranian cargo carrier Rona, which potentially was transporting weaponry to Russia, wrecked in the Caspian Sea.