Turkey to send ships for evacuation of Mariupol civilians, soldiers; navy defusing mines

Turkey is ready to provide vessels to Ukraine to evacuate its civilians and the injured Armed Forces members from Mariupol, the city that fell under the siege of the Russian soldiers in the early weeks of March, the DHA news agency reported citing Turkish Defense Ministry. "We can provide ships, primarily for the evacuation of civilians and the wounded, Turkish and other citizens of Mariupol. In this context, our coordination with the authorities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine continues," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told reporters.

Akar stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire and the safe operation of evacuation corridors. “We continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. Turkey also provides evacuation support. Our support for the people of Ukraine will continue,” the Turkish minister said. Ankara is also launching operations to eliminate the threat of mines that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned had sailed adrift in the Black Sea by the transit of the patrol aircraft and ships and minesweepers.

Turkish navy defusing several drifting naval mines

The Turkish navy has also detected and defused several drifting naval mines near the Bosporus channel that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and the Mediterranean. Romanian military also said that it has detected mines and destroyed them as they posed a serious threat to the sea lanes. 

Russia's defense ministry, and its state security agency, the FSB, last week blamed Ukraine Army for letting off the mines on the coast of Odesa. It said that 10 mines out of 370 had broken. Moscow said mines came from Ukrainian stockpiles and were released in Sevastopol off the coast of Crimea to harm Russian forces. Turkey scrambled to ban maritime activities until further notice. 

Turkey’s extended effort offer comes as Ukraine’s Azov Regiment Commander Denys Prokopenko stated earlier that a military operation to seize control of Mariupol back from the Russians as possible. Port city of Mariupol has suffered the most intense and heavy Russian bombardment due to its strategic location on the coastline of the Black Sea. 

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in a video address had warned that Russian troops have been seizing the ships in the Black Sea and Azov sea, blocking key trade lanes. Hundreds of vessels cannot enter the Mediterranean side and many other cargoes were attacked by fire, which has caused the sea mines to drift into the international waters causing danger and security threats to any country’s vessel in the Black Sea. Mines have been recovered near Bulgarian and Romanian vessels, he said, adding that it can jeopardize the safety and result in losses.