The Romanian Defense Ministry said a Romanian warship was hit by a stray mine that tried to defuse it in bad weather on Thursday, but the crew of 75 was unharmed by the blast.

And drifting mines began to appear in the Black Sea after the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24, and Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish military diving teams neutralized the stray mines in its waters.

The ministry said the ship was alerted to a drifting mine about 25 nautical miles northeast of the Roman Black Sea port of Constanta, but was unable to clear it before it collided due to high winds and waves.

The ministry said in a statement: “There are no casualties or injuries as a result of the explosion. The crew of 75 military personnel on board the ship is not in danger, the ship’s buoyancy was not affected, and there is no serious damage. on board.”

The Black Sea is important for the transportation of grain, oils and petroleum products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Turkey, as well as Ukraine and Russia.

Since the start of the war, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have destroyed 28 mines in the western waters of the Black Sea, according to the ministry.