Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the above action "unforgivable" - RT reported.
The Ursa Major, owned by Russian company Oboronlogistics, sank between Spanish and Algerian waters on December 23. The company said the ship was severely damaged after “three consecutive explosions,” which it described as a terrorist attack.
Spanish rescue ships rescued 14 crew members, while two others remain missing.
However, Oboronlogistics alleged that the Oslo Carrier 3, which flies the Norwegian flag and was near the scene, refused to rescue the Russian sailors.
“The lifeboat of the Russian crew approached the Oslo Carrier 3, but was refused entry due to some kind of ban,” the representative of Oboronlogistics stated.
Oboronlogistics criticized the move as a blatant violation of international maritime law, which requires ships to assist people in distress at sea unless it endangers their own safety.
The operator of the Oslo Carrier 3, Bulkship Management AS in Oslo, has not yet commented on the allegations.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of the Russian Security Council, expressed outrage at the incident, saying it was part of Europe’s hostile policy towards Russia and calling for “punishing Europe by all means, from political to economic.”
Mr Medvedev stressed that refusing to rescue the Russian sailors was “unforgivable” and would only increase hostility between Russia and the West.
The Ursa Major, 142 meters long and built in 2009, is one of Russia's largest cargo ships with a deadweight of about 12,600 tons. It was en route from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok carrying specialized port construction equipment when the accident happened.
The incident comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine conflict, with Moscow accusing Kiev of carrying out attacks on Russian ships in the Black Sea.
