Romanian military ship damaged by naval mine it was sent to defuse

A Romanian military dredger was damaged after it hit the naval mine it was sent to defuse.

The ship, “Lieutenant Dimitrie Nicolescu,” left the port of Constanța on Thursday, September 8, to carry out its mission of defusing a naval mine discovered by another ship approximately 46km northeast of the port’s entrance.

“Dimitrie Nicolescu” has a crew of 75 sailors, but no casualties were registered as a result of the incident. Nevertheless, water began to flood the stern of the ship, forcing the crew to struggle to pump it out.

“The ship’s crew are not in danger, its buoyancy is not affected, and it did not suffer major damages,” according to the Romanian Ministry of Defense cited by G4Media. “Immediately after the mine exploded, the ship's crew took action to plug the hole and limit the effects of seawater entering the aft compartment. By order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Naval Forces, the maritime vessel 'Grozavul' left the port of Constanța with divers to provide assistance and to tow the damaged maritime dredger to the port of Constanța,” it added.

Mines began to drift toward Romania’s territorial waters after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its blockading of the latter’s Black Sea ports. “Dimitrie Nicolescu” has aboard a squad of divers specialized in defusing and destroying mines.

Some 28 naval mines have been discovered and destroyed in the western parts of the Black Sea since the start of the war on February 24. Three were destroyed by Turkish ships, two by Romania, one by Bulgaria, and 22 by Ukraine.

(Photo source: Romanian Naval Forces)