A sea mine found drifting near the northeast coast of Istanbul in the Black Sea on Sunday is scheduled to be destroyed on Monday.
The device was found off the coast of Ağva, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the point where the Bosporus enters the Black Sea.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the warring sides have both deployed mines to protect their coastlines, but they have often been displaced by storms, drifting mostly south.
Given the threat to both commercial and military shipping, NATO members Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania, who border the sea, set up the Mine Countermeasures Naval Group (MCM Black Sea) to oversee de-mining operations.
It began working on July 1. The agreement covers three years, with operations phased throughout the year. The leadership of the task group will rotate annually among the three nations. Bulgaria is set to take command in the first half of 2025, followed by Romania in the latter half.
Romania’s Defense Ministry said this month that a total of 107 floating mines had been found and destroyed since the war broke out.
Last month, Vice Adm. Mustafa Kaya told reporters more than 400 mines had recently been planted in the Black Sea, some of which had gone adrift.
The Black Sea is crucial for shipping grain, oil and oil products. It is bordered by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia Türkiye, Ukraine and Russia.
Since a multilateral meeting in April 2022, Turkish and Romanian military diving teams have defused dozens of stray mines around their waters.
Maritime officials say the risk of crossing floating mines in the central Black Sea shipping route adds perils to merchant ships sailing in the region and governments must ensure safe passage to keep supply chains running.
Last week, Türkiye also assumed control of NATO’s Mine Countermeasures Group 2, which is responsible for naval training and mine operations in the Mediterranean, Black and Aegean Seas.
