Russians have mined the Black Sea: how mines are destroying marine biodiversity.

The Russians have blocked shipping in the Black Sea and dumped nearly a thousand anti-ship mines ahead of the full-scale invasion. Sometimes these explosive devices harm not only people but also marine biodiversity.

This was reported by ecologist Ivan Rusyev on social media.

Mines as a threat to the environment

Some of the anti-ship mines that the Russians dropped in the Black Sea reached the shores of Bulgaria and Romania in 2022-2024, where they were disposed of. However, many more mines were found on the coast of Odesa.

Since the beginning of February 2022, at least 18 mines have been washed ashore at the national park 'Tuzlivski Lymany'. Military sappers neutralized them by means of detonation. Experts emphasize that even a controlled explosion leads to the death of thousands of hydrobionts.

'When the military prepares a mine for destruction, they sometimes allow the collection of scientific information about mollusks and other hydrobionts that temporarily settled on it before detonation. After the mine is detonated, there is no life left on the sand, and the frightened birds of the national park fly far from the explosion site', the ecologist reported.

The damage to Ukraine's nature from the war, according to the Ministry of Ecology, has already amounted to 108 billion hryvnias. Recently, there were also descriptions of the rotting seaweed in the Odesa region and the loss of the coastline in the region.

Ukraine is facing a serious problem with the dumping of mines by Russia in the Black Sea, which poses a threat not only to people but also to the environment and biodiversity. A large number of mines have been discovered near the coast, which has already caused significant damage to the marine ecosystem. Additional measures are needed to eliminate this threat and restore ecological balance in the area.