Mining of the Black Sea water area is Russia’s attempt to bring the world to its knees due to the threat of famine. Therefore, preparations for the complex and multi-stage demining process are already underway. Everything is complicated because the world has never seen the mining of water areas of such a scale.
Mines at the tables
Oddly enough, the demining process begins in offices behind tables. Last year, the Headquarters of the Tactical Mine Action Group was created. It completed a course on mine action planning.
The demining plan consists of many components:
– planning organization;
– familiarization with the duties of officials;
– analysis of the situation immediately before the start of the operation;
– work with existing documents;
– keeping reporting documentation.
All these points will be carried out according to NATO standards, leading in this direction. This compliance is also necessary from the point of view of Ukraine’s aspiration to become part of the Alliance.
Starting with language
To improve the implementation of joint tasks, the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Headquarters of the Tactical Mine Action Group mastered the English language because it is necessary not only to understand technical documentation but also to communicate with international colleagues.
Demining the water area is a common interest for several countries, including:
– Ukraine;
– Bulgaria;
– Romania;
– Turkey.
This issue directly affects each of them and affects trade and the economy in the future.
As part of a joint program with NATO, Ukraine has already received two minesweepers from Great Britain, and it is here that demining teams are trained. One of the significant stages took place at the coast of Scotland. The Ukrainian Headquarters of the Tactical Mine Action Group cooperated with the NATO mine countermeasures group “Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group.” The headquarters directed mine countermeasures at sea, and the demining operation was successful.
Both people and nature
The operation in the Black Sea water area will begin when the threat from the Russian fleet is eliminated. The work will be large-scale. According to available data, as of the end of May 2023, more than 400 mines were in that zone. Only 20 of them were neutralized during the year.
The main danger is that sometimes the mines explode uncontrollably during the operation; it leads to damage to the environment in a radius of at least 200 meters. If the detonation occurs directly in the water, then all fish and sea animals within a radius of 1 km are affected.
