The Greek government has lodged an official protest with Ukraine over an incident involving an unmanned vessel in the Ionian Sea.
Greek television reported on Wednesday that the Foreign Ministry in Athens has sent diplomatic notes to the Ukrainian Embassy and to the Foreign Ministry in Kiev.
The incident was triggered by an event off the holiday island of Lefkada, where fishermen discovered an unmanned boat approximately six metres long with its engine running. They later towed it towards a small harbour.
The Greek authorities subsequently determined that it was a Ukrainian-built vessel loaded with around 100 kilograms of explosives. The explosive device was rendered harmless by the coastguard in a controlled explosion.
Greek security circles say the authorities are also investigating a possible link to the use of such maritime drones against vessels of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, which are being used to transport oil despite sanctions.
Drone attacks are said to have already taken place in parts of the Mediterranean, including between Libya and Crete and off the coast of Malta.
In the diplomatic note, Athens emphasized, according to state television, that the incident posed a significant threat to maritime security. There was a risk that civilians could have been harmed and that serious environmental damage could have occurred.
The Greek government also warned that an expansion of military activities in the region could undermine Greece’s national security and economic interests.
Finally, it stated that Ukraine’s right to self-defence cannot justify such incidents in the Mediterranean.
