Navy dredger belonging to NATO-member Romania is hit by a MINE in the Black Sea
- The vessel was alerted to the mine drifting 25 miles northeast of Constanta
- They attempted to defuse it but were being prevented by the high winds and waves
- It exploded but the crew of 75 have been unharmed and the ship is not in danger
A navy dredger belonging to NATO-member Romania has been strike by a drifting mine in the Black Sea.
The country’s defence ministry stated a hole was blown in the stern of the Lieutenant Dimitrie Nicolescu ship after the explosion yesterday.
The vessel was alerted to the mine drifting around 25 nautical miles northeast of the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.
A navy dredger belonging to NATO-member Romania has been hit by a drifting mine in the Black Sea
A crew of 75 people have been on board hoping to defuse the mine in negative weather conditions but the higher winds and waves prevented them.
They were unharmed by the explosion and the ship is still secure, the ministry claimed.
H2o breached the stern but the crew managed to keep handle more than the dredger.
Yet another vessel from the Romanian Navy was sent to tow the minesweeper again to the Port of Constanta.
‘There are no victims or injured subsequent the explosion, the 75 troops on the ship are not in hazard, the ship’s floatability is not impacted and there is no significant harm on board,’ the ministry mentioned in a assertion.
The country’s defence ministry reported a gap was blown in the stern of the Lieutenant Dimitrie Nicolescu ship (pictured) right after the explosion yesterday
Mines commenced floating in the Black Sea immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine, and Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish navy diving teams have been defusing those drifting in their waters.
Any get hold of with a NATO vessel threats escalation of the war by dragging in the safety alliance.
The Black Sea is important for shipment of grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as effectively as Ukraine and Russia.
Because the war started out, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have destroyed 28 mines in western waters of the Black Sea, the ministry reported.
