Greece issues formal protest with Ukraine over naval drone incident
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Greece has issued formal diplomatic protests to Ukraine after an explosives-laden naval drone was discovered in the country's waters last month, the Greek Foreign Ministry said on June 3.
The vessel, which Greece has said was Ukrainian, was found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on May 7, triggering diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou said Greek officials raised the issue directly with Ukrainian authorities and international partners following an investigation into the drone, which Athens said had "seriously endangered maritime traffic."
According to the ministry, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis informed European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of the investigation's findings, contacted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and discussed the matter with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Limassol.
Greece also delivered formal diplomatic demarches to Kyiv on May 28 and 29, both orally and in writing, in Athens and Kyiv.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi has publicly said there is no evidence that the vessel was connected to Ukrainian naval drone operations.
In the protests, Greece argued that the vessel's presence posed a threat to maritime traffic and could have resulted in civilian casualties or environmental damage.
Athens further warned that extending military operations into the Mediterranean, which it described as "a long distance from the actual front of the war," could undermine Greece's national security and harm its economy.
While reaffirming Ukraine's right to self-defense, Greece said that right "cannot justify such actions."
The Greek foreign ministry further expressed its strong opposition to the presence of armed unmanned surface vessels in its waters and called on Ukraine to refrain from similar actions in the future.
