Several drones were detected and destroyed during the latest mission of NATO’s mine countermeasures group in the Black Sea. No mines were found, Captain First Rank Petar Dimitrov, commander of the Black Sea Naval Mine Countermeasures Group, said.
The group is under the command of the Bulgarian Navy. The Bulgarian-Romanian exercise “Poseidon” is also being held as part of the mission, with six ships and more than 450 people taking part.
Bulgarian diving teams destroyed the drones
“No mines were detected, but several drones were found and were destroyed in this case by Bulgarian diving teams,” Captain Dimitrov said.
According to him, a large number of drone wreckage pieces that had been determined to be safe were also taken aboard the ships. In his statement, he did not specify the number of drones found and destroyed, nor did he clarify their origin.
Naval forces from several countries are taking part
Forces and assets from the navies of Romania, Turkey, Belgium and France are taking part in the “Poseidon” exercise. Greek forces are also participating in part, as are representatives of NATO’s Naval Command in Northwood, United Kingdom.
“The group’s tasks are to ensure, to the greatest extent possible within their capabilities, the safety of navigation, so we do not overlook these threats either,” the group’s commander said.
The mission combines mine countermeasures operations with monitoring for other risks at sea. It has been confirmed that no mines were found, while some of the drones discovered were neutralized by Bulgarian diving teams.
Sources: bnrnews.bg