The mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea will expand its tasks and will monitor and survey the critical underwater infrastructure. This was stated by the Commander of the Naval Forces, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, upon assuming command of the formation from Bulgaria.
“To protect the critical underwater infrastructure is the new task of the mine countermeasures group“, Mihaylov said.
The group was created by Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. The command is changed on a rotational basis for six months, and Bulgaria took over the leadership for the second time. The eleventh activation began in Burgas and is the first under Bulgarian command during the country's second command period.
The new activity is planned in addition to the memorandum between the three countries, signed in Ankara. The practical implementation will begin after Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey determine which sites fall on the list of their critical underwater infrastructure. Joint action plans will then be prepared.
Among the sites designated for Bulgaria are the "Galata" gas platform with the adjacent pipelines, as well as the international communication cables passing through the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone. Mine countermeasures ships have sonar systems for surveying the seabed and can collect information about the condition of cables, pipelines and other underwater facilities.
Mine threat remains, drones increase
In the two years since its establishment, the group has conducted 10 activations, during which significant sea areas were surveyed. In 2025 and 2026, no floating mines were discovered in Bulgarian sea areas. A total of six mines were destroyed by the Bulgarian Navy in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
According to Rear Admiral Mihaylov, the danger has not disappeared. A floating mine was recently defused in Turkish sea areas, which shows that the need for constant monitoring remains.
In parallel, cases of surface drones are increasing. The Bulgarian Navy has destroyed three such drones that fell into Bulgarian maritime spaces, as well as dozens of remnants of rocket boosters and other dangerous objects.
The mine countermeasures group will participate in all sea episodes of the international naval exercise “Breeze 2026“. As part of the preparation, actions against the mine threat and new security risks in the Black Sea will be practiced.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, faragency.bg