The diving exercise "Triton 2024" has started in the coastal city of Varna, BNT reported. The exercise is being held in the area of the Naval Base Varna and the Bulgarian territorial waters for the fourth consecutive year, with the participation of divers from Bulgaria, Romania, Turkiye, the United States and France, specializing in the destruction and disposal of underwater munitions.

The drastically changed maritime security makes such exercises particularly relevant, said the Bulgarian Naval Forces. The unpredictability of the threat from floating mines in the Black Sea makes mine countermeasure operations a daily routine for allied naval forces. The head of the "Triton 2024" exercise, which will be conducted according to NATO standards and procedures, is the commander of the Navy’s Flotilla of Combat and Auxiliary Ships. The objective is to improve interoperability and personnel training at the tactical level while conducting diving and mine countermeasures operations in a coalition format. The training includes procedures for the detection, classification and disposal of unexploded ordnance, floating and bottom mines.