Portuguese divers have been in action in the Baltic Sea as part of NATO operation, Open Spirit.The specialist team of bomb disposal experts, working as part of NATO’s explosives deactivation unit, located and successfully destroyed a Russian mine and a German World War II torpedo.
In a note from the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, it was reported that the live munitions were found by the Naval team at about 30 metres.
The Russian mine contained 430 kilos of explosives and the German torpedo packed 500 kilos.
"The Portuguese team detected another Russian mine, with 115 kilos of explosive charge, which was destroyed by a charge placed on it by a submersible drone from the German minesweeper, FGS Bad Bevensen.
This team of divers is participating in Open Spirit already have performed 25 dives, at depths between 30 and 39 meters at a sea temperature of between -1 and +2º Celcius.
The mission is to clear sea lanes of any old munitions, to "contribute to the safety of navigation which, inherently, has a direct impact on the protection of the lives of those who daily navigate in these waters."
