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Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Romania tries to defuse mine found floating off Black Sea coast

A Romanian military dive team was trying to defuse a mine detected some 70 kilometres offshore in the Black Sea, the defence ministry said on Monday, one of several found drifting in recent days.

Earlier on Monday, Turkish authorities secured a mine close to the border with Bulgaria. On Saturday, they deactivated another ordinance, setting off a loud explosion north of Istanbul.

Russia's main intelligence agency said earlier in March that several mines had drifted to sea after breaking off from cables near Ukrainian ports, a claim dismissed by Kyiv as disinformation and an attempt to close off parts of the sea.

Romania shares borders of the Black Sea - a major shipping artery for grain and oil - with Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine, which Russia invaded a month ago by land, air and sea.

Fishermen first spotted the object earlier on Monday and reported it to the Romanian naval forces.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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