On May 7, Greek fishermen discovered an unmanned surface vehicle with a working engine in a sea cave near Cape Doukato on the island of Lefkada. According to Greek City Times, the drone of the Magura V5 type contained approximately 300 kilograms of explosives and was in combat readiness.
The Coast Guard and military sappers managed to neutralize the apparatus. According to vessel tracking data, a Russian tanker was passing nearby at the time — transforming the discovery from a curiosity into a matter of Greek national security.
Defense Minister: "great apologies" and guarantees
Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias called the incident "absolutely unacceptable" and demanded a public apology from Kyiv.
"Beyond apologies, Ukraine is obligated to provide absolute guarantees that such incidents will not be repeated in the broader region"
Nikos Dendias, Greek Defense Minister, "National Action Plan in Conditions of Global Uncertainty" conference
Athens officially raised the issue with NATO and EU partners, emphasizing that the Mediterranean "should not become a theater of military operations."
What is known about the drone — and what Kyiv refuses to acknowledge
Greek investigators disassembled the apparatus and applied reverse engineering to establish its characteristics. Initially, the drone was identified as a Magura V5. However, on May 12, the manufacturer of these unmanned vehicles — the company UFORSE — informed the publication Militarnyi that the apparatus is not their product.
A Reuters investigation citing Greek security sources established that the drone deviated from its course due to a technical malfunction. Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov promised to investigate the situation — but Kyiv has officially never acknowledged ownership of the apparatus.
An awkward context: the same drone was planned to be assembled in Greece
This is where the situation takes on a non-trivial dimension. In November 2025, Greece and Ukraine agreed to open a production line for maritime drones at Greek shipyards. According to Greek Reporter, negotiations stalled because the Ukrainian side included restrictive provisions in the contract regarding tactical application and possible resale of technologies — in other words, wanted to control against whom and how Athens would use jointly produced weapons.
- Greece is one of the world's largest maritime nations and has its own interest in protecting its commercial fleet in the Mediterranean.
- Some Greek vessels work with ports that service Russia's "shadow fleet" — placing Athens in a delicate position between its allies and business interests.
- An attack on a Russian tanker in Greek waters could have legal and diplomatic consequences for Greece itself.
That is, a country that publicly demanded apologies for a combat drone in its waters, simultaneously was negotiating joint production of these same drones — and has yet to agree precisely on the limits of their application.
If a Greek investigation officially confirms the Ukrainian origin of the apparatus — will Kyiv agree to a public apology without acknowledging the attack itself, or choose silence, risking complicating relations with a NATO member from which it expects support in maritime weapons production?
