Five sea mines neutralized in the Black Sea so far, Romanian Navy says

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine until now, Romanian naval sailors and divers have neutralized five sea mines originating from the northern Black Sea, according to the Romanian Naval Forces.

"The Romanian Naval Forces systematically conduct actions to survey the maritime space near the Romanian coastline in order to identify navigation hazards, particularly drifting sea mines originating from the northern region of the Black Sea. The operational plans and procedures of the Romanian Naval Forces were swiftly adapted to the current security situation, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, in order to effectively respond to a diverse range of threats in the maritime space, thus contributing to the collective security of the NATO Alliance," the official press release says, cited by G4Media.

According to the official sources, 11 military vessels, two IAR-330 Puma Naval helicopters, six maritime surveillance drones, and three teams of EOD combat divers (specialized in combating explosive devices) are patrolling Romanian waters. They are aided by the Mine Warfare Data Center (M.W.D.C.) under the Maritime Hydrographic Directorate through daily monitorization of sea mines.

Through rotation, the military vessels and Puma naval helicopters have scheduled survey activities to detect and mitigate the mine threat and ensure navigation safety for all ships transiting to and from the Romanian ports on the Black Sea. Alongside the Romanian Naval Forces, other structures within the national defense system with responsibilities in this domain, as well as partners from the North Atlantic Alliance (France, the United States of America, and Turkey), participate in the ongoing combined actions of monitoring. These partners contribute through maritime patrol aircraft missions.

"The maritime responsibility area of the Romanian Naval Forces encompasses the territorial waters, contiguous zone, and exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea, covering an area of approximately 30,000 square kilometers, twice the size of Dobrogea. Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine until now, Romanian naval sailors and divers have neutralized five sea mines originating from the northern Black Sea," the mentioned source reports.

(Photo source: Fortele Navale Romane on Facebook)