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Mine Threat and Unexploded Ordnance in the Black Sea

The mine threat and the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) are long-standing environmental and industrial hazards in the Black Sea waters, caused by combat actions during World War II and decades of testing at naval firing ranges of the USSR Black Sea Fleet.

Overview

During World War II and in the post-war period, the Black Sea basin underwent intensive mining and dumping of naval and aviation ordnance. Despite several minesweeping campaigns, a significant number of depth charges, naval mines, and bottom mines remained on the seabed.

An additional hazard was created by Soviet naval firing ranges (in particular in the area of Cape Lukull near Sevastopol), where ammunition was dropped during naval exercises for decades. The ill-considered lifting of restrictions on civilian navigation and fishing in the 1990s without prior clearance of the naval areas led to tragic incidents involving civilian fishing vessels.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Naval Firing Ranges of the USSR Black Sea Fleet:
  • The sea area near Cape Lukull (20 miles northwest of Sevastopol) had the status of a restricted zone for nearly half a century and was designated as a firing range for the USSR Black Sea Fleet.
  • In the 1990s, the restriction was lifted without surveying or clearing the seabed of hazardous objects, transforming the area into a potentially lethal zone for civilian fishing (referred to in the press as the Crimean "Bermuda Triangle").
  • Disasters of Civilian Fishing Vessels:
  • In 1996, the crew of the fishing vessel SAOR perished due to the detonation of an explosive object.
  • On July 22, 1998, the fishing seiner Shkval hauled up a Soviet World War II depth charge with a bottom trawl; as a result of the detonation, the vessel sank instantly, and almost the entire crew perished.
  • Safety Regulations and Instructions During Trawling:
  • In case a mine, torpedo, or bomb is caught in a trawl, instructions require immediately cutting the trawl with the fish and moving away to a safe distance at full speed.
  • Ignoring or violating instructions (attempting to retrieve fish or discard the bomb manually) creates a fatal risk of detonation.