The Naval Forces are planning a large-scale demining operation in the waters of the Azov and Black Seas. According to the planning, demining of trade routes may take up to six months.
This was announced by the spokesperson of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, during a TV marathon.
"We plan an operation to demine the waters of the Black and Sea of Azov. Currently, a headquarters has been created, and the operation itself is being planned. Based on the results of its planning, we can specify that demining of maritime communication routes will take three to five months," the spokesperson stated.
According to Pletenchuk, a global demining operation may last for several years, as they are currently dealing with samples of weapons from the First and Second World Wars.
The spokesperson for the Naval Forces noted that specialized drones are used for sea demining.
"We are in constant dialogue with our foreign partners on this issue, and work in this direction is ongoing continuously – both in terms of training, gaining experience, and the process itself," he emphasized.
It is worth noting that the issue of demining in Ukraine is becoming increasingly acute, as Russia continues to shell territories, contaminating them with mines. In addition, mines also contaminate the waters of the seas.
In connection with this, Ukraine continues to strengthen cooperation with NATO member countries on demining the waters of the Black Sea.
It was also recently reported that Bulgaria, as one of the Black Sea countries, may assist Ukraine in demining the waters of the Black Sea.