Ukraine apologizes to Greece after sea drone with 100 kg explosives found off Lefkada

Published Jun 5, 10:58 PM UTC

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Ukraine has apologized to Greece after a Ukrainian sea drone carrying 100 kilograms of explosives was discovered off the Greek holiday island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea. The drone, found by fishermen in May with its engine running, was identified by authorities as Ukrainian and neutralized by a controlled explosion. Greece filed a protest note, citing threats to maritime security and civilian safety. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tychyj apologized on X, attributing the incident to circumstances caused by 'ongoing Russian aggression.' He added that the war in Ukraine poses a threat to neighboring European states. The discovery raises questions about Ukrainian naval drone operations, as unconfirmed reports suggest Ukraine has used bases in western Libya to target Russian shadow fleet vessels in the Mediterranean. The island of Lefkada is over 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine's coast.

Source report

Archive image of a Ukrainian sea drone Source: Efrem Lukatsky / AP / dpa

Several days after receiving a formal protest note from Greece, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has apologized for the discovery of an explosives-laden sea drone off the holiday island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea.

“The Ukrainian side apologizes for the incident and emphasizes that it was due to circumstances caused by the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tychyj wrote on the X platform.

The statement noted that the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine also represents a threat to neighboring European states and the world. At the same time, Kyiv thanked Greece for the support it has provided to Ukraine since the war began in 2022.

Incident Details

In May, fishermen discovered an approximately six-meter-long unmanned boat with a running engine off the Greek Mediterranean island of Lefkada. Authorities identified the vessel as Ukrainian and found around 100 kilograms of explosives on board. The Greek coast guard neutralized the explosive device with a controlled explosion.

In its protest note, Athens described the incident as a threat to maritime security and a risk to civilians, demanding an official statement from Kyiv.

Geographic and Strategic Context

Lefkada is located over 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast.
Ukraine, which borders the Black Sea, has no direct access to the Mediterranean.
According to unconfirmed media reports, the Ukrainian military has repeatedly used naval drones from a base in western Libya to target vessels from the so-called Russian shadow fleet.
In early March, a Russian liquid gas tanker en route to Egypt was reportedly attacked by Ukrainian maritime drones east of Malta. The badly damaged ship subsequently drifted in the Mediterranean without a crew for several weeks.

luwi / dpa

Content shown outside its original language is machine translated; summaries may also be condensed.

Source

Nachrichten - WELTWestern

Original headline: „Durch die anhaltende russische Aggression verursacht“ – Ukraine entschuldigt sich für Drohnenfund

Original language: DE

Part of this Story

Greece Finds Ukrainian Explosive Drone, Plans Diplomatic Protest

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