Turkey temporarily closed shipping traffic on the Bosphorus Strait on Saturday to collect and search a floating object suspected of escaping from a sea mine off the coast of Ukraine. After the mine was deactivated, afternoon traffic resumed.
The Turkish Defense Ministry wrote on Twitter that a civilian merchant ship had spotted a healthy, mine-like object in the Bosphorus waters on the morning of March 26. They were immediately sent to the scene by a diving team that found the object in question and began to neutralize it. The ministry did not say whether it was a mine.
Turkish TV channel NTV later reported that
The first investigations revealed an ancient type of Russian mine.
Pictures posted on television showed a healthy, round object with bumps on its surface.
During the operation, the authorities closed the navigation traffic on the Bosphorus in both directions.
The suspected mine was found in the Sariyer region, at the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea.
#Turkey The suspension of transit traffic in the Bosphorus Strait was announced after an object suspended from being a naval mine was found, while defense teams began neutralization operations. pic.twitter.com/kdNpA9kDFF
– English Independence (alestiklalen) March 26, 2022
On Monday, the Turkish authorities drew attention to the fact that sea currents may divert to Turkey the naval mines that were installed off the coast of the Russian city of Odessa, which was under the siege of Russia, many of which were torn apart. by storm. The Bulgarian authorities also issued a warning about unexploded mines.
Update: Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced in the afternoon that the mine had been deactivated and that contacts had been established with the Russian and Ukrainian navies.
Several tankers and cargo ships were lost for hours at the two entrances to the strait. After the danger, and four hours after a short circuit occurred, traffic resumed.
The Bulgarian authorities also issued a warning about unexploded mines.
