On April 21, 2022, the Ursa Major ship of Oboronlogistics LLC enters the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk ferry line in addition to the three railway ferries already operating on the line, according to Oboronlogistics. Such measures are being taken to expand the possibilities of transport communication with the Kaliningrad region due to difficulties in the transit of goods through the territory of limitrophs.
The largest motor ship in the Oboronlogistics fleet Ursa Major was previously called Sparta III and was involved in long commercial flights to Asia and on the Northern Sea Route. In March 2022, the ship returned from a circumnavigation and underwent scheduled maintenance in Novorossiysk. The vessel has safely passed Gibraltar, the English Channel and the Danish Straits and arrives at the port of Baltiysk on April 20, 2022 to perform new tasks.
Ursa Major is a universal cargo ship of the RO-RO/LO-LO class (horizontal and vertical loading), designed for the transportation of goods of various classes: general cargo (including oversized), containers in the amount of more than 800 TEU, heavy equipment (cars, etc.). The vessel is equipped with two cranes with a lifting capacity of 350 tons each, which positions it as a Heavy Lift Cargo Vessel. Develops a speed of 14 knots. The length of the vessel is 142 m, width – 23 m, draft – 7 m.
The departure for the first flight from Baltiysk is scheduled for April 21, the departure from Ust-Luga is scheduled for April 24. The ship's schedule assumes shipping at least once a week to each of the seaports.