On Saturday, a Turkish cargo ship notified Romanian authorities of a sea mine drifting approximately 2.5 nautical miles from the port of Constanta. Divers specializing in the destruction of underwater explosive devices intervened to defuse a mine that threatened shipping, the Romanian Navy said.

The Turkish cargo ship “Ahmet Can” alerted the Romanian authorities on Saturday morning, around 08:00, of the presence of a sea mine drifting approximately 2.5 nautical miles from the top of the northern breakwater. port of Constanta, according to the Romanian Navy.

A Coast Guard ship went to the scene to verify the information, confirming that it was a sea mine that threatened the safety of shipping.

The Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces, Vice-Admiral Mihai Panait, ordered the rapid intervention of a group of combat divers EOD (specialized in the destruction of underwater explosive devices), who are on permanent combat duty and also train the minesweeper “Vice”. Admiral Konstantin Belescu” to go to sea.

Divers with two high-speed boats went to the indicated place around 09.00 to neutralize a sea mine drifting in the area of ​​responsibility of the Naval Forces.

The mission was completed around 10:40 a.m., without the need for the minesweeper “Vice Admiral Constantin Bălescu” to intervene.

Four sea mines neutralized by combat divers

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, about 40 sea mines have been confirmed and destroyed in the western basin of the Black Sea.

This is the fourth intervention of EOD combat divers of the Romanian Navy to neutralize a sea mine.

The first intervention took place in March at a distance of about 70 km from Capu Midia, the second was carried out at the end of July in the area of ​​Eforie, at a distance of about 4 km from the coast, and the third mission took place in September.