The defence ministry announced on Wednesday that Turkish military diving teams successfully exploded a floating naval mine in the Black Sea, the third such mine discovered in Turkish seas since the Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine and Russia have both claimed responsibility for placing mines in the Black Sea, and Turkish and Romanian military dive teams defused stray devices in their respective waters in late March.
The Black Sea is shared by NATO member Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine, which Moscow invaded on February 24 in what it described as a ‘special military operation.’
Grain, oil, and oil products are all transported via the Black Sea. Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia, all share its waters.
The Bosphorus strait, which runs through the heart of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest metropolis with 16 million population, connects the Black Sea to the Marmara and Mediterranean oceans.
Ships going across the Bosphorus are at risk from stray mines, which could inflict damage if they hit vessels, particularly crude oil ships.
The chance of coming across floating mines in the important Black Sea shipping route, according to maritime officials, is increasing the dangers for merchant ships in the region, and governments must assure safe passage to keep supply networks functioning.
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