Three Ukrainian beachgoers have been killed by sea mines after swimming in areas which had been cordoned off to the public.
Ukrainian media outlets reported that a man had died after a device exploded just 50 metres off the coast near the resort of Karolino-Bugaz, located in the country's southern Odesa region.
In a separate blast, a man and a woman died while swimming off the coast of Zatoka, around 40 miles to the south of Odesa city.
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Both incidents occurred in areas close to the city of Odesa (file photo)
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Governor of Odesa Oblast, Oleh Kiper, revealed that the deadly explosions occurred in waters that had been closed off for swimming and warned that people were needlessly dying by ignoring the bans.
He said: “All of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in areas prohibited for recreation.
“This proves once again that being in unverified waters is deadly.”
Kiper confirmed that 32 areas that had gone through "comprehensive inspection" had been permitted for public swimming after being checked for mines.
Kiper said that 'all of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in areas prohibited for recreation'
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Footage emerged after the incident showing water shooting upwards in the sea near a packed-out beach.
A woman's voice can be heard saying: “Oh God... something’s exploded over there."
Local police have said they have not yet verified the identity of the victims, but issued a warning to beachgoers to not "neglect safety measures".
The police report read: “It has been previously determined that three vacationers - a woman and two men - died while swimming as a result of two explosions of unknown objects."
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Local authorities have warned beachgoers 'not to neglect safety measures' (file photo)
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Both Ukraine and Russia have dropped a large number of mines into the Black Sea since Vladimir Putin's invasion began in 2022.
Although they have mostly been used to defend Ukraine's ports, Russia has been accused of using them to target Ukrainian shipping lanes.
It remains unknown which side the sea mines which killed the three holidaymakers belonged to and how they managed to drift so close to the shore.
It comes after the Romanian navy was forced to detonate a sea mine which had drifted into its waters last year.
In January 2024, Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria created a joint task force focusing on detecting and neutralising sea mines in the Black Sea.
Russia and Ukraine are both known to have a large number of YaM anchor mines in their respective stockpiles.
These types of sea mines date back to the Soviet era and are attached to the ocean floor with a heavy chain, and lie just below the water's surface.
They contain roughly 20kg of explosives in each one, and are most often used at depths of around 200 metres.