Mine countermeasures exercise Poseidon 2026 reportedly ends in Bulgarian waters

The multinational mine countermeasures exercise Poseidon 2026, held in Bulgarian territorial waters, has ended, maritime publication Maritime.bg reported. The Bulgarian Navy, which organises and leads the training, announced at its launch on 9 November that it would run until 14 November.

Schedule sets 14 November as the end of the exercise

The distinction between the end of activities at sea and the end of the exercise as a whole is important to the chronology. In its report from the activation ceremony for the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group in Varna, BTA reported that the ships would be at sea from 10 to 13 November, while the exercise would continue until 14 November. His statement was reported by BTA on 7 November.

The Navy's announcement of the start, released by the Ministry of Defence Information Centre on 9 November, also gives 14 November as the end date. The Romanian Navy had announced in advance that the task group's ships would take part in Poseidon on 9–13 November.

Maritime.bg describes the exercise as having concluded successfully, but does not give a separate completion date. Its publication of 13 November therefore does not clarify whether this refers to the maritime phase or the exercise as a whole.

Ships and staff representatives from several countries take part

The Romanian Navy announced in advance the specific composition of the 13th activation of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, MCM BLACK SEA: the Romanian minehunter M 271 Căpitan Constantin Dumitrescu, Bulgaria's Kapitan Dimitar Dobrev and Struma, and Türkiye's TCG Akçay. The same announcement also listed the Romanian corvette Contraamiral August Roman (261) as participating in Poseidon. The group's activation is scheduled for 6–18 November, meaning its activities extend beyond the exercise.

According to the Bulgarian Navy, Bulgarian and Romanian crews and ships from MCM BLACK SEA are taking part in Poseidon 2026. Representatives from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Türkiye, Romania and NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) are joining the staff component. This participation does not mean that all the countries listed have sent ships. Dimitrov told BTA that more than 450 participants were expected.

Training for surveys and ordnance disposal in shallow waters

According to the Navy, participants were to practise planning and conducting mine countermeasures operations, surveying shallow-water areas, and detecting and destroying unexploded ordnance. The commander of the Combat and Auxiliary Ships Flotilla directed the exercise in previously announced areas of Bulgarian territorial waters. NATO standards and procedures were followed during the activities.

Poseidon has been held annually since 2002, with Bulgaria and Romania alternating command. For the Bulgarian Navy, this year's edition combines leading a multinational staff with mine countermeasures ships working together in national waters.

The tasks described are training objectives, not a record of ordnance actually neutralised. The report on the exercise's conclusion provides no quantitative results by which to assess what has been surveyed or made safe.