Russian forces completely captured the port of Mariupol, which is a key strategic and economic infrastructure in Ukraine. The port wears war wounds with half-sunken, destroyed and burnt ships; huge steel storage spaces bearing mortar holes, rusting rolls of iron sheets that were to be shipped, and the railway track to carry goods, destroyed. The roads and the dockyard tell the story of the late-night bombardment and shelling that destroyed this beautiful economic hub.
But, the biggest challenge the Russian forces are facing is in the Sea of Azov, which is laden with sea mines. As part of a military strategy and to avoid Russian naval invasion, the entire seawater was mined.
Now, it will take a long time even to make this port functional because the waters — from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea which banks the critical city of Odesa — have been mined.
Read: ‘Not living a life’: Ukraine’s Mariupol residents struggle daily just to survive
The de-mining department has around 120 specialists. They are deployed across the captured territories which are heavily mined — on land and in water. According to officials, deployment to specific areas happens as per the requirements.
Speaking to India Today at the port, Sergei Neka, Commanding Officer of the de-mining operations, said, “Since we started the de-mining operations in the city of Mariupol, we have extricated upto 10,000 sea mines and other explosives so far. But, there is no way of estimating how many are still left.”
When asked how much time will it take to clear the entire area for the port to become functional again, Sergei Neka said, “It is really hard to say, but it certainly is not going to be very quick. We need to be very accurate and thorough with clearing out the city block by block.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MARIUPOL
The shoreline of Mariupol was a strategic hold, but also one that had great economic significance. All the wheat, steel and other items are transported from this port.
Russian journalist Nikita Tretyakov, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Regnum News Agency, explains that it would take a long time to sanitise and clear the waters because some of the sea mines have come off their anchorage and have drifted far away, making the entire water in Turkey very dangerous.
“This whole thing is very problematic. According to the Russian defense ministry, there are several hundreds of mines planted in the Sea of Azov in various regions, which creates different problems. Nikita said.
“During the storms, some of the mines are torn from their anchors and pushed further into the sea. Some have been recovered as far as Turkish waters in the Black Sea,” Nikita said.
Nikita said, “Some of the mines are very outdated, dating back to World War II. Most of them cannot be taken out safely so they have to be detonated in the water.”
“In fact, it is not just in the waters, all across the Mariupol city, we found sea mines. The demining operation is underway in water and on land. It will take a long time for this port to be commercially viable,” Nikita said.
“This port is the main transportation route for sending wheat…Even in the future, if Ukrainian farmers want to send wheat to other parts of the world, this is the route that they would have to take… there are steel plants here because of the port…”
MILITARY STRATEGY OF USING SEA MINES
Sea mines are self-contained explosives meant to destroy enemy ships and submarines. Sea mines have been extensively used in warfare, including during both the World Wars and the Cold War era. According to Naval History and Heritage Command, the US laid more than 12,000 mines in Japanese shipping routes and harbor areas during World War II. The mines were laid using aircraft and they sank around 650 Japanese ships.
According to a report on DW.com, the mines in the Black Sea are reported to be sea anchor mines. These mines float just below the surface of the water, making them difficult to detect.
These mines are connected by a steel cable, which connects them to an anchor and keeps the device below the water. When these mines come into contact with the hull of a ship, they explode.
DANGERS OF SEA MINES
Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the presence of sea mines in the Black Sea has been a cause of concern for merchant ships. The presence of sea mines in the sea means seafarers have to take different, longer routes to reach their destinations.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) union and the Joint Negotiating Group of maritime employers have raised the concerns of the seafarers, saying that their vessels shouldn’t become “collateral damage” in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
“We strongly urge governments to do all in their power to mitigate the threat and secure safe passage for vessels trading near these conflict areas,” Reuters quoted David Heindel, chair of the ITF Seafarers’ Section, as saying.
“It is essential that the world’s seafarers can continue to perform their duties safely and keep global supply chains moving,” he added.
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