A Norwegian shipping company on Friday rejected an accusation from Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, that it refused to rescue sailors from a sinking Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea.

A "terrorist act" sank the cargo ship that went down in international waters in the Mediterranean this week, the Russian state-owned company that owns the vessel said Wednesday. The ship sank in international waters off Spain in the early hours of Tuesday after having sent a distress call for help on Monday.

The ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Algeria following an explosion in the engine room, officials said.