Finnish Navy press release – Translated by Naval News
The minesweeper Pyhäranta ran aground today, 24 August 2022 at 18:30 west of Örö in connection with the Coast Fleet firing exercise. No personal or environmental damage was caused.
There was damage to the structures in the bow of the ship, which resulted in small water leaks in the bow compartment of the ship. The crew of the ship moved quickly to isolate the damage and avoid water intake; the ship’s status is stable. No oil has leaked from the ship into the sea. There is no need to evacuate the ship’s crew.
Navy divers are inspecting the external parts of the ship under the water surface during the evening, after which the ship is preparing to break contact with the seabed. There are other Finnish Navy vessels in the area. In addition, the Coast Fleet’s oil spill response vessel Halli and the Border Guard’s external guard vessel Tursas are on the scene and will assist the command as needed and secure the situation in case of environmental damage.
The Coast Fleet is the standby group of the Finnish Navy responsible for securing territorial integrity at sea. The minesweeper Pyhaeranta is one of three Pansio-class minesweepers. The minesweeper, along with several other ships of the Coastal Fleet, participated in the firing exercise taking place this week at the Örö firing range. The vessel towed a floating target device for firing from the sea. The situation did not pose a threat to other vessels.
“The divers were not sent on the mission last night for safety reasons because it was already dark. The ship’s position did not change during the night and no further damage occurred. The weather in the area is good.”
Commander Juhani Lehtimäki, operations manager of the Finnish Coastal Fleet
Update 26/08/2022
The Finnish Navy announced on 25 August that the vessel have been freed:
