Russian vessel exploded and sank in “NATO Lake” near Kaliningrad

The Russian trawler “Captain Lobanov” sank in the Baltic Sea. Preliminarily, this happened due to an explosion on board. Russian media reported this.
According to preliminary information, the explosion occurred in the Baltic Sea in a 10-mile zone, not far from the coast of the Kaliningrad region.The ship sent out a distress signal.
There were 7 crew members on board the trawler, four were wounded. At least one person died. So, “Captain Lobanov” sank near the city of Pionersky in the Kaliningrad oblast in the Baltic Sea, which has been described as a "NATO Lake" following the expansion of the alliance in response to Moscow's aggression in Ukraine.
There are no reports suggesting the vessel's sinking was anything other than an accident but pro-Ukrainian social media accounts posted details of the incident next to images of the vessel.
A spokesperson for the regional government said the fire was caused by "an emergency situation" without providing further details, according to the newspaper Kommersant.
"On behalf of the government of the region, we express our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The wounded will be provided with all necessary medical care," the statement said.
The 112 Telegram channel said that the vessel had faced problems before, partially sinking in June 2021 when it fell on its side during an attempted launch near the village of Svetly, about 20 miles west of Kaliningrad.
There were no casualties then, but the incident prompted an inspection by the local prosecutor's office, and the waters of Kaliningrad Bay were polluted with oil products.
Kaliningrad is an area of growing tension with the Russian exclave located in strategically significant territory on the Baltic coast.
According to Newsweek, it hosts military assets, including naval bases, airfields, and missile systems and is bordered by NATO members Lithuania and Poland. Following last month's agreement to allow the accession of Sweden to the alliance, the region was described by some social media users as a "NATO Lake."