By Ali Murat Alhas
ANKARA (AA) – Turkiye found and safely disposed of a sea mine off the Black Sea coast, the National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
The area was secured immediately after the mine was spotted by patrol aircraft off Kocaeli, and underwater explosive ordnance disposal units successfully neutralized it, the ministry tweeted.
This is the third sea mine discovered by Turkish authorities since the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia war, with the first detected off the northern coast of Igneada near the Bulgarian maritime border and the second spotted at the entrance to the Bosporus in March.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar earlier said that mine hunter vessels along with maritime patrol aircraft are constantly monitoring waterways near Turkish coasts in the Black Sea region to detect and neutralize drifting mines.
Some observers have said the mines drifted from a Ukrainian sea blockade, but that has not been verified.
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with Western countries and their allies implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.
At least 1,480 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,195 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.
More than 4.24 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.