Greece demands apology and guarantees from Ukraine over discovered sea drone
Kyiv • UNN
Nikos Dendias demands an apology and guarantees from Ukraine due to a sea drone in Lefkada. Athens is preparing official steps following the General Staff's findings.
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias stated that the Ukrainian side must apologize to Athens following the discovery of a maritime drone in Lefkada and, furthermore, provide guarantees that such an incident will not happen again, reports UNN with reference to CNN.
Context
The discovery of an unmanned underwater vehicle in Lefkada has become a serious issue, and high-ranking officials in Greece are openly speaking about an extremely dangerous incident.
According to media reports, the case of the maritime drone is causing serious concern within the Greek government regarding its origin and operational role.
Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias took a particularly firm stance, essentially confirming that the Greek side knows the origin of the UUV and considers it absolutely obvious that it is a Ukrainian underwater drone.
He asserted that "there is no doubt that it is a Ukrainian underwater drone. We know what type it is, where it was made, and what it was doing," he emphasized.
The Greek Minister of National Defense also raised this issue at a NATO ministerial meeting, citing a possible accident with a cruise ship as an example.
"If some cruise ship traveling from Venice to the Eastern Mediterranean had followed its course exactly and collided with this vessel, it would have sunk," he said.
He then raised the issue of potential loss of life.
Details
The Greek Defense Minister further escalated the situation, stating that the Ukrainian side owes Athens an official explanation.
"It must offer us a very serious apology. And, in addition to the apology, it must give us absolute guarantees that something like this will not happen again in the region," he stressed.
The publication notes that this message reflects strong dissatisfaction in Athens, as the Greek government believes a serious threat to the safety of navigation in the Mediterranean Sea was created.
"How many dead would we be mourning? And to what extent is this permissible in the Mediterranean?" he said.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lana Zochiou also spoke in the same vein, calling the incident "particularly serious."
The Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson clarified that Athens is waiting for an official report from the Hellenic National Defense General Staff to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before taking any official action.
"Upon receiving the official report from the National Defense General Staff to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will take the necessary actions and official steps at both bilateral and international levels," she emphasized.
However, she clarified that no official steps have been taken yet.
"We are not at that stage yet. Of course, bilateral negotiations and discussions are ongoing. We are waiting for the official report," she said.
Media outlets note that Athens seems determined to prevent any expansion of the war into the Mediterranean.
It was emphasized that Greece will take all necessary measures to ensure that "the Mediterranean does not become a theater of military operations and that this incident does not happen again."
Recall
Recently, Greek sappers carried out a controlled explosion of a maritime drone carrying explosives, which fishermen discovered in the Ionian Sea near the island of Lefkada. It is a Ukrainian-made "Magura" maritime drone. There were about 100 kilograms of explosives on board.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has no confirmation regarding the origin of the maritime drone found off the coast of Greece.