Greek Defence Minister attributes mystery sea drone found off Lefkada to foreign state
The device was recovered from a coastal cave by a fisherman and contains explosives, prompting officials to link it to Kyiv's ongoing campaign against Russian shipping.
Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias has publicly attributed a mystery unmanned surface vehicle discovered off the Ionian island of Lefkada to a foreign state, with strong indications pointing to Ukraine. Speaking at a conference of the ruling New Democracy party in Thessaloniki, the minister stated that the craft, which was retrieved outside Greek territorial waters, belongs to a foreign country and that officials possess a clear understanding of its nature and contents.
The device was located inside a coastal cave by a local fisherman earlier this week and was subsequently moved to a naval base on the mainland for inspection. Military experts were required to render the unit safe for transport to Athens after explosives were found on board. While specific details regarding the payload have not been fully disclosed to the public, the presence of ordnance necessitated a careful handling protocol before the item could be moved for further analysis.
According to Greek military sources, the unmanned surface vehicle resembles a Magura-class sea drone, a weapon system reportedly employed by Ukraine's armed forces against Russian ships in the Black Sea. This identification aligns with broader intelligence assessments suggesting the device is part of Kyiv's strategy to disrupt Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers in the Mediterranean.
Kyiv has previously admitted to using drones to target Russian oil tankers in the region. Ukrainian intelligence sources have claimed that a tanker named QENDIL was struck in December and sustained critical damage. The Greek government notes that while the visual resemblance to known Ukrainian equipment is striking, definitive forensic proof confirming the drone's origin has not yet been provided to the public.
Maritime security sources suggest the device may have drifted off course following a signal failure or could have been part of a larger shipment. Despite these uncertainties, the Greek administration maintains that the attribution to a foreign state is based on contextual intelligence and the known operational patterns of the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean.
The discovery occurs against a backdrop of shifting diplomatic dynamics, with recent reports indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin may be open to holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a neutral third country. However, the physical evidence of the drone found in Greek waters continues to highlight the active nature of the conflict's periphery.
