Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria launch a joint mine countermeasures initiative in the Black Sea

Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria announced a series of joint activities in January 2026 aimed at detecting and monitoring drifting sea mines in the Black Sea, within a trilateral initiative led by Turkey. The plans were confirmed during a briefing by Turkey’s Ministry of National Defence.

On 8 January 2026, a meeting of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Working Group will be held in Istanbul, alongside the handover and activation ceremony of the group’s command. As part of the activation, the Bulgarian Navy minesweeper Priboy and the Romanian Navy vessel Gikulesku will pay a port visit to Istanbul from 7 to 10 January 2026. The 8th activation phase of the trilateral initiative, scheduled for 9–18 January 2026, will include mine detection and surveillance operations in the western Black Sea.

Previous joint mine countermeasures operations among the three countries began on 1 July last year, with the objective of improving maritime safety, including the protection of routes used for Ukrainian grain exports.

Comment of Institute of Danube Research:
The continuation of the trilateral mine countermeasures initiative has direct relevance for the safety of Danube navigation. Systematic monitoring and mitigation of mine threats in the western Black Sea reduce risks along the maritime approaches to the Danube delta, strengthening the resilience of the Danube–Black Sea logistics corridor under ongoing security challenges.