Watch: Ukrainian Navy Retrieves & Destroys Russian Bomb Dropped Near Grain Corridor

The Ukrainian Navy has retrieved and neutralised a Russian FAB-500 aviation bomb from the Black Sea near Odesa on April 29, 2025.

The explosive was found in the waters close to Ukraine’s grain shipping route and was safely detonated after recovery.

Ukrainian naval forces said the bomb had been dropped by a Russian warplane in the grain corridor area. Divers from a special naval unit located the device at a depth of 20 meters.

After carefully bringing it to the surface, the team transported the bomb to shore and destroyed it in a controlled explosion.

While Reuters could not independently verify the exact location or timing of the Navy’s underwater operation or the detonation, a Reuters correspondent did capture footage of the Navy lifting the bomb from the sea.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, stated that Russia had previously dropped bombs from aircraft into Ukrainian territorial waters used by commercial ships transporting grain.

Спецпідрозділ Військово-Морських Сил ЗСУ вчасно виявив і знищив ворожий вибухонебезпечний пристрій, скинутий російським літаком у районі зернового коридору.

Дякуємо нашим воїнам за мужність, професіоналізм і рішучість.

Докладно: https://t.co/v2xIAPrkO9 pic.twitter.com/DS260eOJhO

— Військово-Морські Сили ЗС України (@UA_NAVY) April 30, 2025

Video Credits: Ukrainian Navy/X

However, he noted that such actions stopped after Ukraine’s air force shot down a Russian fighter jet in 2023. Since then, Ukraine has taken active steps to clear its waters and safeguard the movement of grain shipments.

These efforts became more crucial after Russia withdrew in 2023 from the wartime grain export agreement that had been brokered by the United Nations in 2022.

Ukraine has since established its own shipping corridor in the Black Sea without Moscow’s cooperation. Securing this route has become a key part of Ukraine’s strategy to maintain the global food supply and protect peaceful maritime activity.

In a statement posted on social media, the Ukrainian navy described the operation as more than just technical work. The forces called it a daily battle for the safety of vessels and global food stability.

They thanked the naval personnel involved, praising their courage, professionalism, and determination.

Reference: Ukrainian Navy

Source: Maritime Shipping News