The command of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has issued a marine navigation warning over a Ukrainian sea mine in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"The command of the Black Sea Fleet has issued a warning to mariners about the presence of a mine hazard on the shipping route in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. The warning to mariners is due to the discovery of a Ukrainian sea mine, which drifted uncontrollably, endangering the safe navigation of civilian ships," the ministry said in a statement.
The sea mine that was found was set by Ukrainian naval forces in early 2022 during indiscriminate mining of coastal waters, the ministry added.
"The unprofessionalism and irresponsibility of the Ukrainian navy has led to the fact that today an unknown number of mines are drifting in the Black Sea, posing a constant threat to shipping," the ministry said.
The Ministry recalled that in March 2022, two Ukrainian anchor mines, installed off the coast of Odessa, were found drifting off the coast of Romania and Turkey, and subsequently tragedy was avoided.
At the time, Russia's intelligence service reported a concerning incident regarding naval mines laid by Ukraine. Due to adverse weather conditions, over 400 of these mines had become detached from their anchoring cables.
The intelligence service raised alarms, stating that these devices were now adrift in the western section of the Black Sea, an important trade route.