The Standing Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Group starts its 13th activation today, Bulgaria's navy said. Its ships come from three countries: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The Bulgarian navy currently commands the group. Its ships will search a set area of the sea for floating mines.
The group will also join "Poseidon", a joint Bulgarian-Romanian mine countermeasures exercise. Forces and equipment from the navies of Belgium, France and Greece will take part, along with NATO's maritime command.
The navy said the group has not come across any mines in recent months, but drones or parts of drones are being found at sea more and more often.
Captain Petar Dimitrov, deputy chief of staff of the navy, said the group's main task is to keep shipping safe, as far as its forces allow. "So we do not pass over these threats either," he said.
The navy does not regard possible floating containers from the sunken ship ContShip Jet as a military threat. It said it is able to respond and would act if given that task.