In brief
In the treacherous waters of the Black Sea, a team of Ukrainian Navy divers undertakes the hazardous task of clearing mines and unexploded ordnance. Their efforts are vital for maintaining safe shipping routes vital to Ukraine’s economy, amidst ongoing threats from the Russian forces. As they navigate the perilous underwater landscape, the divers demonstrate remarkable courage and precision, moving slowly and cautiously to deactivate the deadly remnants of war.
The Black Sea is littered with deadly weapons. But no-one knows how many – or where they are.
When we approach it, we should be quiet, we should be slow – and we should be very accurate, says Vitalii, a 31-year-old Ukrainian Navy diver. He describes swimming through dark waters towards explosive devices resting on the sea floor.
Vitalii is part of a team of 20 tasked with de-mining parts of the Black Sea under Ukraine's control. Sea mines, remains of war, can drift with currents and storms, adding to the chaos left by Russian aggression in the region.
The sea mines laid by Moscow at the start of the invasion present real dangers. Last summer, three swimmers were killed by mines off the Odesa coast, he explains, highlighting the severity of the threats divers face.
The commander of the navy's mine countermeasures group, known by the callsign Fox, estimates that thousands of sea mines linger in the Black Sea, compounded by various unexploded munitions that flowed into the sea when the Kakhovka dam was destroyed in 2022.
Despite high risks, including Russian aerial attacks and unpredictable currents, vital commercial maritime traffic continues as large merchant ships navigate through the only operational export corridor. Revenue from maritime exports will be essential for Ukraine's economy in the ongoing conflict, says navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk, emphasizing the importance of the divers' mission.
The mine-clearing effort is slowly progressing. In 2025, the team neutralized more than 50 mines, but the operation remains a drop in the bucket towards achieving complete safety. New technologies and partnerships, such as receiving mine-hunting vessels from the British Navy, hold promise but require better conditions for deployment.
What works today will not work tomorrow. They adopt our experience; we adopt theirs, Pletenchuk notes on the ever-evolving nature of maritime combat. But amid the threats, divers like Vitalii continue their dangerous work, well aware that each move could alter the mission's course, yet committed to one second at a time.
