Only recently did Russia warn of drifting sea mines as a result of the Ukraine war: Turkey has now discovered one in the Bosporus – it is still unclear where it came from. Are there other mines?
Turkish authorities temporarily suspended shipping on the Bosphorus Strait after discovering a floating sea mine.
A team of divers have “deactivated” an old-style sea mine floating in the Bosphorus, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, according to the state news agency Anadolu. Traffic on the strait that connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean was suspended on Saturday and resumed after around four hours, an official from the Directorate for Coastal Safety told the German Press Agency. Ships were therefore asked to stop at both entrances to the strait. Akar said on Sunday that shipping was running smoothly again.
It was initially unclear whether the discovered mine was connected to the war in Ukraine. Turkey is in contact with the Ukrainian and Russian sides about this, Akar said. The object will be examined. Last week Moscow warned of drifting sea mines in the Black Sea.
Second mine not confirmed
Reports that a second mine has been discovered off the coast of the Bosphorus are untrue, Anadolu quoted security sources as saying. The Ministry of Agriculture on Saturday banned night fishing off Turkey’s northwest coast of the Black Sea and the entrance to the Bosphorus for safety reasons. The regulation applies until further notice, it said in a message on Twitter.
The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles are important thoroughfares connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. According to Turkish authorities, more than 40,000 ships pass through the Bosporus every year.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of mining the Black Sea: the Russian domestic secret service FSB had warned that the Ukrainian navy had mined the ports of Odessa, Ochakiv, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny. Some of the anchored sea mines would have torn loose in the storm. In the worst case, they could drift through the Turkish straits into the Mediterranean. On the other hand, the Ukrainian portal BlackSeaNews, which specializes in shipping, reported that the Russian Black Sea Fleet laid the sea mines between Odessa and the Bosphorus. There was no independent confirmation of this.
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea has been forced to stand still. There is little traffic off the coasts of EU and NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. In accordance with the Treaty of Montreux, Turkey has also restricted the passage of warships from the conflicting parties through the Bosphorus.
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
