At the end of the war of 1877-1878, the Russian Government formed two companies for the service of mines and torpedoes; one, stationed at Krondstadt, for the defence of the coasts and harbours of the Baltic Sea; the other, at Kertch, for that of the Black Sea, each company was commanded by an engineer officer, who remained subordinate to the engineer department. This body had been reorganised by a recent order, and was now entirely independent.