[Llarry]

It is clear that North Korea is developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile with nuclear warhead on a high-priority basis. They have already launched a diesel-electric missile sub that has severe limitations. The gold standard is a nuclear-powered submarine like that possessed by the USA, the UK, France or Russia.

Over a year ago in December 2024 a Russian heavy lift cargo ship known to be an arms carrier -- The Ursa Major -- was in the Mediterranean when it was damaged and sank. The cause has not been definitively established but the word is that the engine room had a large (20-inch diameter) hole. The ship was carrying two large items covered with blue tarps that looked suspiciously like nuclear reactor hatches.

The destination of the Ursa Major remains a mystery, but it is possible that it was to deliver nuclear reactor components suitable for submarine use to North Korea. Another possibility is that it was delivering components to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East for use in a nuclear ice breaker.

I think it is a good bet that somebody did not want Ursa Major to arrive at its destination.