The Romanian Navy announced yesterday the deployment of a ship and a helicopter to locate stray mines, which have drifted near the Romanian coast in the Black Sea, coming from the territorial waters of Ukraine.

The operation began a few hours after the explosion that took place in the morning on the waterfront of Costinesti, a popular tourist destination, which has thankfully caused no casualties or injuries.

Although the investigation by the Romanian authorities has not been completed, the Navy believes that the explosion was probably caused by a mine.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, several mines have been washed by the sea currents towards the coasts of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

A member of the EU and NATO, Romania shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine and has hosted a standing NATO force on its soil since last year.

Also, after the explosion, the Bulgarian Navy has taken additional measures to monitor mines in order to ensure the safety of ships and prevent incidents in the Black Sea, as announced by the country’s Defence Ministry.

With information from: APA MPA, BTA

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