Italy plans to send two MCM vessels to Romania to tackle the mine threat

according to Press release Two officials issued by the Romanian Ministry of Defense have announced the security situation in the Black Sea region (threat of drifting mines) in the context of the Ukrainian War, the NATO summit decision, and measures to strengthen the alliance’s defense and deterrence stance. Included). As well as intra-EU and bilateral cooperation.

The Minister of National Defense of Romania emphasized the unparalleled importance of NATO’s extraordinary summit on March 24. Alliance leaders have approved historic decisions aimed at consolidating the deterrence and defense posture of allies on the eastern side of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. ..

The most notable aspect of the statement is Romania’s receptive attitude towards Italy’s intention to provide anti-mine vessels to support the recently discovered mine threat.

“In this regard, Minister Lorenzo Gerini has announced Italy’s intention to send two maritime minesweepers to work with the Romanian Navy in the Black Sea in the near future to discover and neutralize land mines. Announced.”

Romanian MoD Press Office

Romanian military diving teams destroyed a mine detected by fishermen about 72 kilometers from the Black Sea coast on March 28.

Author’s opinion:

By Official notice On February 28, Turkey closed the Istanbul (Bosphorus) and Canakkale (Dardaneres) straits for warships from all countries covered by the Montreux Convention, whether adjacent to the Black Sea or not. did. The notice did not specify whether the banned vessel was a combatant or a non-combatant.

This decision has been welcomed by all sides and has been carefully implemented by Turkey ever since. According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after the strait was closed, Russia requested Turkey to send several warships through the strait to the Black Sea, but Turkey refused and Russia did not oppose the refusal.

As a result, the Italian objectives do not seem to apply at this time. The MCM ship is not an offensive ship, but it is a military ship and cannot cross the strait because Turkey has the Montreux Convention. Such an operation would almost certainly be opposed by Russia, which does not want NATO to exist in the Black Sea during the war.

Meanwhile, Russian supporters say Ukraine has eroded Montreux’s standards as it released a drifting mine to invite NATO or EU efforts to undertake an MCM operation in the Black Sea. As a result, if Italy sends an MCM warship to the Black Sea, Russians could make speculative claims louder.

The threat of drifting mines is real and definitely requires the necessary steps. To protect merchant ships from such threats and prevent unwanted casualties, even the Warring States should reach an agreement to clean these mines. Finding the truth in the fog of war is so difficult that the consequences can be devastating if both sides assert their claims and refuse to take the necessary steps on an international scale. There is a possibility.