Turkish authorities have disabled a mine in the Black Sea, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the defense ministry on Wednesday, in the fourth such incident since the start of the Ukraine war.
“A mine was detected off Kıyıköy … and has been secured and neutralized,” the ministry tweeted.
Kıyıköy is located less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Bosporus.
Three mines were discovered in the spring near the Turkish coast in the Black Sea, including one off İğneada, a village located 30 kilometers west of Kıyıköy and one near the mouth of the Bosporus.
There was speculation that the mines could have become unmoored from Ukrainian waters during storms, but Ankara never confirmed their origin and none had been found since.
Underwater mines must be equipped with systems that make them harmless if unmoored, according to the Hague Convention of 1907.
But older mines may lack such systems and present a hazard.
