[6] In September 2019, as Sparta III, the ship brought a cargo from China to Europe via the Northern Sea Route.

[7] In late 2020, Sparta III became ice-bound near Mys Sopochnaya Karga in the Yenisey river estuary in the Russian Arctic.

[8] Rosatom deployed the nuclear-powered Vaygach to break a channel and the diesel-electric Admiral Makarov to tow Sparta III to the ice edge where the ship, having damaged its steering gear, was handed over to the ice-strengthened salvage ship Spasatel Karev, which towed it to Arkhangelsk.

For years, the ship carried matériel on Russia's "Syrian Express" supply route to Tartus naval base in Syria.

Her cargo included two 45-ton hatches for a Project 10510 icebreaker that was under construction, and two Liebherr 420 mobile cranes to be installed at the Port of Vladivostok.

[12] By 22 December, when the ship was in international waters between Spain and Algeria, satellite tracking showed that her speed suddenly dropped to 1 knot (2 km/h).

[11] According to TASS, there was an explosion in her engine room,[6] reported to happen on 12:30 on 23 December,[14] she was drifting south at 1 knot.

[11] Photographs published online showed her down by her stern, with her bow and forward superstructure raised, and listing to starboard.

[15] According to a notice to mariners by Salvamento Marítimo, Ursa Major sank on 23 December at 23:22 UTC at position 36°27′30.0″N 0°53′26.4″W / 36.458333°N 0.890667°W / 36.458333; -0.890667,[16] between Águilas in Spain and Oran in Algeria.

[11][17] On 25 December, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that Ursa Major was victim of "an act of terrorism", and described the sinking as being the result of three explosions, citing the vessel's owner Oboronlogistika.