The IMO warns of floating sea mines in the Black Sea placed as part of the war in Ukraine. A large number of ships and seafarers are still stranded at Ukrainian ports.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a blockade of Ukrainian ports, stranded ships and seafarers as well as floating sea mines in the Black Sea.
In a new circular letter, the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) warns shipping entities operating in the Black Sea to pay extra attention to the dangers of floating sea mines.
The IMO has received intelligence that sea mines are floating in the Black Sea and off the coasts of Romania and Turkey.
This is a result of ”the ongoing conflict in Ukraine which presents a serious and immediate threat to the safety and security of crews and vessels operating in the region,” the letter reads.
When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, it chose to also block Ukrainian harbors, leading to approximately 2,000 seafarers and 94 ships being stranded at the ports, according to the IMO.
Since then, ten ships have left the Sea of Azov on the other side of Crimea and the Black Sea, bringing the total count to 84 ships and approximately 450 seafarers remaining trapped behind the Russian blockade, the IMO reports in a status update.
”This number continues to steadily reduce. Many ships have employed local ship keepers to replace crew, and some ships have gone into cold lay-up, with no crew remaining onboard,” the IMO writes.
The organization’s secretary general, Kitack Lim, has established an emergency task force to coordinate attempts to reduce the security risks for shipping, ports and seafarers.
