Russia Warns That Ukrainian Mines May Be Loose in Black Sea

Russia’s FSB warned that mines placed by the Ukrainian Navy in the Black Sea at the outset of the Russian military operation are in danger of breaking loose and drifting southwards towards the Turkish straits. The mines are reported to be old, obsolete anchor mines manufactured during the first half of the 20th century and anchor cables are breaking due to storms in the Black Sea. “Driven by winds and currents, mines are freely drifting in the western part of the Black Sea,” the FSB statement said. “Bearing in mind the fact that southwards surface currents are typical in the areas of these Ukrainian ports, it is not ruled out that loose mines may drift toward Bosporus and further on to the Mediterranean Sea,” it stressed. The Russian Black Sea Fleet issued a mine hazard warning on March 18.