Russia has turned the Black Sea into a minefield. What should be done about this?

Demining of the Black Sea

Over nearly two years of the major war, the Black Sea has turned into a minefield. This poses a threat not only to Ukrainian civilian shipping and the export of Ukrainian grain but also to the shipping of other states in the basin. The economies of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania are heavily reliant on maritime logistics, so their naval forces have announced a joint project to clear maritime routes.

Can Russia be held accountable for this particular crime? What resources are needed to demine the Black Sea? And how will this affect Ukrainian exports? These questions were addressed by Irina Oliynyk, editor of “Zaborona,” along with experts.

Material from the independent Ukrainian media outlet “Zaborona“
Translation into Russian: Natalia Ryaba, Media Lifeline Ukraine

How Russia mines Ukraine’s territorial waters

14,000 square kilometers of Ukraine’s waterways are contaminated with explosive objects as a result of Russian aggression. According to data from the Ukrainian ministry of defense, Russia continues to drop bombs into the Black Sea—both new ones and those seized at military bases following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Thus, the aggressor country deliberately resorts to provocations, discrediting Kyiv before international partners.

“Before 2014, there were many naval mines marked with Ukrainian Navy symbols at the Sevastopol weapons base. With the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Russians actively mine Ukraine’s territorial waters with these mines.

When such a mine detaches from its anchor, it drifts towards Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey due to the natural currents in the Black Sea,” explains reserve captain of the first rank of the Ukrainian Navy and expert at the Center for defense strategies, Andriy Ryzhenko, in a comment to ‘Zaborona.’

According to him, Russian forces drop container bombs directly from aircrafts. Additionally, to contain Ukrainian forces’ counteroffensive, they mine river arteries. As a result, these explosive objects ended up in the coastal waters of Ukraine following the terrorist attack at the Kakhovka hydroelectric station.

Crimes of the Russian Federation at sea

Due to missile strikes and mines, the Russian Federation jeopardizes civilian vessels flying the flags of other countries in the Black Sea. Bogdan Ustymenko, director of Maritime law and security, an international lawyer, explains the violations committed by the aggressor in a comment to ‘Zaborona.’

“The Russian Federation has fundamentally violated the law of war as such. According to the principle of distinction, warring states are obligated not to target civilian objects with their forces and means. However, they have done so repeatedly.

Warring states are strictly prohibited from committing any aggressive actions in neutral waters and obstructing the navigation and interests of other states. Imagine if a Russian mine were to blow up an oil tanker. What would be the environmental consequences for the Black Sea?” says Ustymenko.

International lawyer believes that holding Russia accountable for violating international law will be very difficult. However, it is possible if Russia’s crimes against the safety of civilian vessels are documented by law enforcement agencies of both Ukraine and neighboring countries.

Then this evidence will be presented to the International Criminal court. As a result, compensation can be sought from the Russian side for economic or environmental damage caused during the war, through judicial or extrajudicial means. Ustymenko says that it is possible to claim frozen Russian assets.

The Black Sea Mine Countermeasures (MCM Black Sea) Group within the framework of a trilateral initiative, initiated with Romania and Bulgaria under the leadership of Turkey in Istanbul. Turkey, January 11, 2024. Photo: Arif Hudaverdi Yaman / Anadolu via Getty Images

MCM Black Sea: what is this agreement about?

Mines in the sea pose a threat to navigation in the western part of the Black Sea: drifting ordnance regularly enters the territorial waters of countries in the basin.

For instance, in April 2022, near the Bosporus Strait, Turkish and Romanian military destroyed four Russian mines, and in September, the Romanian Navy minesweeper Dimitrie Nicolescu was blown up by an explosive device while attempting to neutralize it near the port of Constanta. And the scale of the mine threat will only increase, believes Andriy Ryzhenko.

“Over the past year and a half of the war, about 80 such incidents have been recorded. Therefore, on January 11, 2024, the MCM Black Sea memorandum was signed, under which a joint mine countermeasure group of three NATO member states was established. They will work on the detection and destruction of dangerous objects in the western part of the Black Sea—specifically within the territorial waters of these states,” notes the reserve captain.

Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania will work with various types of ships for three years (the term may be extended). And although the demining operation is more of a humanitarian nature, experts note that coastal countries are thereby demonstrating their disagreement with Russia’s military aggression and mine pollution in the Black Sea.

For Ukraine, this is also significant assistance, as it is through the western part of the Black Sea that the route of ships within the “grain corridor” passes. Joint mine countermeasure forces of coastal countries will help create safe conditions for maritime transportation and vessels exporting Ukrainian grain.

“A mine can be submerged underwater at a depth of two to 10 meters. If the cable connecting the mine to the anchor fails, it surfaces. The mine is designed to deactivate itself in such case and simply turn into a piece of iron.

However, the Russians disable this mechanism, so an ordnance drifting on the surface remains extremely dangerous. A mine contains about 20-30 kilograms of explosives. This is enough to kill a person, damage or even destroy a small boat up to 10 meters long, or significantly damage a larger vessel or warship,” explains Andriy Ryzhenko.

A priest blesses the waters of the Black Sea during the Epiphany celebration in Odessa, January 6, 2024. Photo: OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Clearing mines: how NATO countries and Ukraine do it

NATO member countries employ unmanned and remotely operated vessels, mine-hunting boats, or maritime reconnaissance drones equipped with specialized gear such as side-scan sonars and sonar systems to search for mines.

An expert from the Center for Defense Strategies explains that the use of unmanned vessels with tracking systems onboard is limited to coastal areas, whereas minehunters can venture further into the sea and detect mines.

Ryzhenko assures that the Ukrainian navy also possesses modern equipment for detecting explosive objects. With this equipment, they survey territorial waters and, when necessary, conduct demining operations near the ports of Odessa to ensure safe navigation. However, controlling these devices alone is insufficient given the scale of the mined area.

“In Ukraine, we already have side-scan sonars in the form of underwater drones launched from various small boats, even inflatable ones. These sonars examine the situation on the seabed and automatically transmit information to the command center.

There is discussion about the possibility of acquiring more of these devices. In my opinion, Ukraine initially needs to equip itself with unmanned vessels measuring 10-12 meters in length. They are programmed to search for mines at a rate of two square miles per hour and then coordinate their destruction,” says the reserve captain of the Ukrainian navy.

People bathing in the salty Kuyalnik Lake on the Black Sea. August 16, 2023, Odessa, Ukraine. Photo by: Pierre Crom / Getty Images

Mine clearance after victory

Experts with whom “Zaborona” spoke are convinced that the mine threat in the Black Sea will remain a problem for many years. After the cessation of hostilities, other NATO countries, which have powerful fleets and equipment, will join in demining efforts. In particular, the United Kingdom, which has taken on separate commitments as part of the maritime coalition.

According to vice admiral Alexei Neizhpapa, the commander of the Ukrainian navy, Ukraine will first need to clear recommended routes and anchorages used in civilian navigation. This process may take from five to seven months.

“The navy has established a corresponding headquarters, personnel are undergoing training, and we already have mine-clearing vessels that will arrive in the Black Sea immediately after victory. We are preparing our specialists, including divers,” the commander said.