Ukraine apologises to Greece over maritime drone incident

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has apologised to Greece following an incident involving an explosive-laden maritime drone discovered in May in Greek territorial waters near the island of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea.

The apology was issued by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi in a post on the social media platform X, after Athens lodged an official diplomatic protest over the drone, which Greek authorities believe to be of Ukrainian origin.

"Following the incident involving a sea drone found near the Greek island of Lefkada, the Ukrainian side expresses its gratitude to Greece and the Greek people for their steadfast support of our country since the very first days of Russia's full-scale invasion. Ukraine highly values its friendly relations with Greece.

As current challenges to international and regional security, particularly maritime security and the activities of Russia’s 'shadow fleet' constitute shared concern of both Greece and Ukraine, Ukraine emphasises its commitment to the norms of international law and the principles of civilian maritime safety, noting its interest in preventing similar occurrences in the future.

In this respect, the Ukrainian side expresses its apologies for the incident stressing that it was the result of circumstances brought about by the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side is convinced that this incident, much like similar occurrences in other regions, demonstrates that Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine poses a threat not only to our country but also to neighboring friendly states, Europe, and the world at large.

Ukraine remains committed, along with Greece, to further deepening friendly relations between our two countries and developing a constructive dialogue in all areas of mutual interest," the post reads.

It was previously reported that Greece had lodged an official diplomatic protest with Ukraine over an explosive-laden marine drone found on the coast of Lefkada, which Athens believes to be Ukrainian.

By Tamilla Hasanova