The Black Sea remains dangerous for people and ships due to the threat of mines. The demining process has already begun, but don't expect rapid change. Find out when the Black Sea will be cleared of mines and what stage the process is currently at

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Since the beginning of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea coast has become one of the most heavily mined areas not only in the country but also, and probably, in the world. Amidst the mine danger, people continue to enjoy their holidays on the beach and swimming in the sea. But it is still impossible to completely relax in such an environment. 

Amid the threat of mines not only to people, but also to merchant ships and even other countries, three NATO countries - Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania - have launched a maritime mine action initiative. This campaign, according to Bloomberg, aims to make the sea safer for shipping, in particular for the export of Ukrainian grain.

It is important to note that the Istanbul-led initiative is the first major joint operation by the Black Sea countries since russia's invasion and is aimed at clearing drifting mines in certain areas of the sea. That is, not in the entire maritime area.

How long will the demining take?

At the beginning of the year, the Ukrainian Navy announced that it was planning a large-scale mine clearance operation in the Azov and Black Seas. According to the plans, it could take months to clear the trade routes.

"We are planning an operation to mine the Black and Azov Seas. The headquarters has now been set up and the operation itself is being planned. Based on the results of its planning, we can say that the demining of sea communication routes will take three to five months," they said.

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The second stage of three has begun, but the hardest part is yet to come

In January of this year, the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, told Ukrayinska Pravda that the work to clear the Black Sea of Russian mines would take place in several stages. However, it will take years to clear the entire Black and Azov Seas of mines where hostilities are taking place.

The first stage is the direct fight against mines, which is ongoing as long as the war continues.

The second stage is the Istanbul initiative, when Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey join together in a tactical group to combat drifting mines.

The third stage is a full-scale mine action operation that will begin immediately after Ukraine's victory.

Preparations for the last stage are already underway. According to Neizhpapa, the Navy has set up a relevant headquarters. Specialists and divers are undergoing the necessary training, and Ukraine already has mine countermeasures ships that will arrive in the Black Sea immediately after the victory.

Beach season despite the threat

Summer has already begun in Ukraine, both meteorologically and in fact. The heat is breaking records, and more and more people are drawn to the beach - closer to the cool water. As usual, the most active beach holiday is expected to be on the Black Sea coast, particularly in Odesa.

Several beaches are currently officially operating in the city. Recently, the authorities allowed people to swim at four more locations.

However, the mine threat still makes summer activities by the Black Sea dangerous. In addition to mines, the Black Sea has faced other problems and, according to the National Research University "Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Marine Ecology", the state of the sea is still not entirely safe due to the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. We wrote more about the environmentalists' analysis here.

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