August 10, 200718 yr From Navy Times WWII mine discovered in port as Navy visits The Associated Press Posted : Friday Aug 10, 2007 6:04:31 EDT KIEV, Ukraine — A World War II mine was discovered Thursday in Ukraine’s Black Sea port of Sevastopol as a U.S. Navy ship called for a visit, and efforts were underway to safely dispose of it, officials said. The mine, weighing up to 1,100 pounds and containing up to 110 pounds of TNT, was found drifting in the water Wednesday near a local navy hospital on the shore, said Valery Strelets, spokesman for the local branch of Ukraine’s Emergencies Ministry. The report came as the guided-missile destroyer Forrest Sherman arrived at the port to conduct drills with the Ukrainian navy. The ship was about 500 yards away from the mine when it was discovered, Strelets said. He said the mine has been secured to prevent it from floating freely and will be destroyed about a mile out at sea. Ukraine was the site of heavy fighting during World War II and numerous unexploded shells, grenades and mines are discovered each year. [interesting scenario fodder here. A WWII era mine accidentally hits a US Navy ship while she is in port in the Ukraine, causing severe damage. Russia is already strongly protesting the US presence when the incident occurs, and no one knows it was a WWII mine or an accident. What happens next ?]
August 10, 200718 yr The August 2007 edition of Proceeding has an article; Mines in Ports: A Serious Threat, By Arthur Cappabianca - "If airliners can be used as weapons by jihadists unqualified to land them, what is stopping the same people from wreaking havoc on ports with sea mines?" Unfortunately for non-subscribers it is not available in the online content at their website usni.org
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