Romanian Military Ship Hit by War Mine in Black Sea

The exposure of a drifting mine hit a Romanian military ship on the Black Sea. No one from the military crew was injured.

According to the Romanian Naval Forces, the mission to defuse a mine drifting in the Black Sea resulted in the explosion and damage to the ship sent to complete the task.

The naval tug “Lieutenant Dimitrie Nicolescu” (DM-29) left the port of Constanta on September 8, around 1:15 p.m., to carry out an intervention mission on a war mine, which was discovered by the GSP ship “Falcon,” which carried out specific activities at a distance of approximately 25 nautical miles (46 km), in the north-eastern direction from the entrance to the port of Constanta. The GSP ship “Falcon” reported, at around 11.45, the presence of a war mine floating adrift, after which, according to the legal procedures in force, the operational procedures for the intervention with specialized personnel were implemented.

Due to unfavourable weather conditions, the sea mine struck the cruiser at dusk and exploded.
The deflagration left a small water hole at the edge of the ship’s waterline in the area behind. The 75 sailors on board were all unharmed. The ship’s crew acted to seal the water hole and lessen the effects of seawater entering the stern compartment as soon as the mine exploded.

By order of the Chief of the General Staff of the Naval Forces, the maritime vessel with divers left the port of Constanta to provide assistance and tow with the damaged marine dredger to the port of Constanta.

According to the Romanian Naval Forces, since the beginning of the war, 28 sea mines have been destroyed in the western part of the Black Sea, of which three were Turkey mines, two were from Romania, one from Bulgaria and 22 from Ukraine.

Photo source: Romanian Naval Forces