Powerful Blast at NATO Country's Black Sea Resort Raises Alarm

A suspected naval mine exploded off the coast of a Romanian resort town on the Black Sea which has been the scene of increased tensions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Media in the NATO member state reported on Monday that authorities were investigating the blast by a seawall in front of a hotel in Costinești, near Constanța, which is roughly 130 miles south of Romania's border with Ukraine.

A witness told local outlet Digi24 that a loud bang was heard and then black smoke could be seen from the hotel terrace, according to a translation.

Ana-Maria Stoica, spokesperson for the emergency situations inspectorate for the Dobrogea region where the resort town is located, said first responders were called to the site around 9 a.m. Monday and that no one was injured.

Digi24 reported that the explosion was thought to have been caused by a sea mine and a Romanian navy minesweeper and divers were dispatched to the area. The navy also investigated a second mine that was also reportedly discovered in the area.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Romania has defused five Russian sea mines in the Black Sea, local media reported. It is not clear which country the mine on Monday belonged to Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Romanian navy for comment.

Costinești is a popular tourist destination and is around 20 miles south of Constanta which has been a key port for Ukrainian grain. Russia has stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea after it pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal to guarantee the safe passage of Ukrainian grain from the region.

Following Moscow's targeting of grain facilities in the Odesa region along the coast, Ukraine was reportedly behind drone attacks on successive days on Russia's Black Sea fleet ship Olenegorsky Gornyak, near Novorossiysk port and on the Russian tanker SIG.

Earlier in August, NATO warships conducted drills in the Mediterranean aimed at navigating simulated minefields as the West presses Moscow to end its renewed but porous blockade of the Black Sea.

In the southwestern part of the Black Sea, Russia's Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired warning shots at the commercial vessel Sukru Okan on Sunday, sparking accusations from Kyiv of "piracy." Russian personnel searched the cargo ship which was sailing under the flag of the Pacific Ocean island country of Palau.

After quitting the Black Sea Grain initiative, Russia said it would deem any vessel en route to Ukrainian waters as subject to inspection.