Three NATO countries plan to clear mines in the Black Sea – media

Three NATO member countries – Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria – plan to work together to remove mines from the Black Sea from drifting mines resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bloomberg reported this on Monday, November 20, citing its own sources.

The deputy defense ministers of the three countries will meet in Ankara on Wednesday to finalize the details of creating a maritime mine clearance unit, three people familiar with the matter said.

It was unclear whether a final agreement would be signed after the two-day meeting, one of the people said.

The meeting came days after Turkish Navy Commander Admiral Ercument Tatlioglu spoke out against the presence of naval forces from other NATO allies, particularly the United States, in the Black Sea, saying they could increase tensions in region.

The publication notes that if approved, the mine-sweeping force would not be considered a NATO operation, but would be the first major joint action by the Black Sea allies since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

At the same time, they will really help Ukraine to protect its export corridor, since bulk carriers are now sailing to the coasts of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, where the three NATO countries also have their own trade routes.

We remind you that last week a ship carrying wheat was blown up by a mine near a Ukrainian port. Despite the damage, it continued its journey to the Romanian port of Constanta.

In the Black Sea, mines washed up on the coast of the Nikolaev and Odessa regions were destroyed