Greece presses Kyiv after suspected Ukrainian drone found near Lefkada
Read NV on Google
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis (Photo: REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki)
Greece has stepped up diplomatic pressure on Kyiv after an
unidentified maritime drone was found near the island of Lefkada last week, Ekathimerini
reported.
Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said “any
transformation of the Mediterranean Sea into a theater of military operations
will not be allowed.”
After talks in Athens with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan
Grlić Radman, Gerapetritis said “Greece will ensure that the Mediterranean
remains untouched by military operations and remains a sea of peace, a sea that
belongs to its peoples.”
The remarks reflect growing concern in Athens over the
maritime drone found near the Ionian island of Lefkada, Ekathimerini reported.
Greek officials view the incident as a sign of rising risks
from the war in Ukraine spreading beyond the Black Sea.
Gerapetritis also said the EU has faced unprecedented
security challenges after four years of active conflicts across the region.
“The biggest challenge, of course, is preventing the spread
of the wars destabilizing our neighborhood,” he said.
Greek media reported on May 10 that a maritime drone had
been found earlier that week near Lefkada in the Ionian Sea. It was allegedly
carrying about 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds, of explosives.
Fishermen found the device on May 7 near a rock, with its
engine still running, media reports said. That raised suspicions that its
operators may have lost contact with the drone, which then kept moving until it
hit the shore.
Ekathimerini reported that Greek officials have intensified
demands in recent days for Kyiv to provide an explanation, while Defense
Minister Nikos Dendias and government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis have
publicly expressed concern.
Athens claims the maritime drone was deployed by Ukraine in
Greek territorial waters, apparently to strike a Russian vessel in the
Mediterranean.
Some Greek media outlets reported that the device resembled
a Ukrainian Magura-class maritime drone. However, its manufacturer, UForce,
denied that one of its drones had been found in Greece.
Ekathimerini reported that Greek officials had initially
identified the device as a Mamai-type maritime attack drone. Ukrainian forces
have widely used that model in the Black Sea during Russia’s war against
Ukraine.
The investigation into the device is continuing at
facilities in Skaramangas near Athens, where military authorities are examining
the drone’s systems and mission data.
Initial work focused on removing explosives and detonators
from the drone, which is now being stored at a base of the Greek Underwater
Demolition Command. Greece’s Hellenic National Defense General Staff is
conducting the investigation. Coast guard officers also carried out preliminary
inspections.
On May 12, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii
Tykhyi said the ministry had no information about the drone found in Greece.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
