Athens on Monday confirmed that informal communication has taken place between the Greek and Ukrainian foreign ministers in relation to an ongoing investigation into the explosive-laden maritime drone discovered in the Ionian Sea earlier this month.
Greek officials insist that any diplomatic response will depend entirely on the final findings of the inquiry.
“When the report is issued, we will proceed with the appropriate démarches,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said during Monday’s regular briefing, underscoring Athens’ deliberate effort to avoid escalation before the technical assessment is complete.
The Greek side is maintaining a cautious line for now, stressing that no formal conclusions will be drawn until investigators complete their investigation and a report is issued. The unmanned vessel — which Athens believes to be of Ukrainian origin, despite Kyiv’s official denials — was found by fishermen off the island of Lefkada on May 7.
The incident has added strain to an otherwise strategic Athens–Kyiv relationship, while also reviving broader concerns over maritime security and the risk of the Russo-Ukraine war’s operational footprint drifting further into the Mediterranean.
