A GENERAL cargoship is suspected of coming in contact with a sea mine this morning while waiting outside the entrance to the Sulina Canal, according to a Lloyd’s List Intelligence casualty report.

Türkiye-flagged 3,134 dwt Kafkametler (IMO: 9001112) experienced an explosion at approximately 0900 hrs GMT.

No injuries to the crew were reported.

The vessel anchored for a short period but began to sail towards and through the Bytstroe Canal, which is north to the Sulina Canal and leads to Ukraine’s Danube ports, around 1230 hrs GMT. 

It is signalling its destination as Galați, Romania via Automatic Identification System data, but Lloyd’s List understands the vessel is heading for Izmail.

The UK government claims Russia may lay sea mines on the route to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to deter incoming ships.

Russia is allegedly seeking to target civilian ships travelling via the country’s temporary corridor.

Kafkametler did not travel via the temporary corridor outlined by the Ukrainian government to reach the Danube ports.

It crossed the Black Sea from Sinop anchorage in Türkiye, where it had stopped for about a day.

However, ships that are destined for Ukraine’s sea ports, either Chornomorsk, Odesa or Yuzhnyi, are expected to pass through the area — close to the Romanian border — that Kafkametler experienced an explosion.

Another vessel was suspected of colliding with a sea mine in September while waiting in Sulina anchorage.

Kafkametler is a regular caller to Ukraine’s Danube ports and was a participant in the Black Sea Initiative when it was operational.