"Searching for or moving explosive devices on the seabed is part of our regular duties, which we practiced this week in harsh freezing temperatures and under a thick layer of ice," said Lt. Indrek Paju, commander of the Estonian Navy's diving group.

"This is simply because in real operations we have to be ready to perform these tasks all year round, meaning our work cannot be negatively impacted by being out of our comfort zones or in cold temperatures," he added.

Demining experts from the Estonian Rescue Board have participated in these ice camp exercises for several years now. However, this year they were joined for the first time by a team of construction divers from the U.S. Navy, who practiced ice blasting for the first time.

"One of our tasks is to remove underwater obstacles, in order to allow ships to enter the port for example, and, if necessary, to remove these obstacles using explosives," said U.S. Senior Chief Petty Officer and divemaster Keith Reed.

"However, operating beneath the ice has its own peculiarities, from diving to ensuring safety during detonation, and so, in this respect, it was definitely a good experience for all participants," Reed added.

The ice camp is an annual exercise for the Estonian Navy's diving group and has taken place in various locations in Estonia for more than a decade.

 The main task of the Navy's mine clearance divers is to search for, identify, and defuse sea mines and other underwater explosive devices. Specially trained mine clearance divers are mainly used to dive to explosive devices with known coordinates in order to defuse them.

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