The Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday its forces destroyed a stray Ukrainian mine drifting in the south-western part of the Black Sea.
It said the mine was detected by Russia's Black Sea fleet, floating about 180 km (111 miles) northeast of the Bosporus Strait.
"On the decision of the ship's commander, a Ka-27 helicopter was taken into the air, whose crew eliminated the mine with machine-gun fire," the ministry said.