Greece was presented with a fait accompli: Ukraine will continue the hunt for Russian tankers

According to Euractiv, Ukraine informed Greece that it will continue to strike Russian ships, including its own, in territorial watersdespite the scandal with an armed drone near Lefkada.

Information published Euractiv publication citing diplomatic sources in Athens.

There has not yet been an official public statement from the Ukrainian government with this wording. We are talking about the position that, according to the publication, Ukrainian diplomats conveyed to Greek representatives during closed meetings.

Main

• Kyiv intends to continue attacks on Russian ships on the high seasciting the right to self-defense.
• Athens demanded guarantees after the discovery of a naval drone with 100 kg of explosives.
• Ukraine apologized for the incident, but, according to sources, did not refuse further operations.
• Formally We are talking about international waters, but the previous device had already lost control and ended up on a Greek island.
• The political signal for Athens looks harsh: the Greek protests did not lead to a change in the Ukrainian strategy.

Drone with 100 kilograms of explosives

The cause of the diplomatic conflict was Ukrainian maritime dronediscovered by fishermen May 7, 2026 near the island of Lefkada.

According to Greek media and authorities, the device ended up in Greek territorial waters after the suspected loss of remote control. There was about 100 kilograms of explosiveswhich experts later destroyed in a controlled manner.

Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias stated that Athens does not doubt the Ukrainian origin of the drone.

“The Ukrainian side must offer us a serious apology and give us an absolute guarantee that this will not happen again in the wider region,” he said. Nikos Dendias.

According to Euractiv diplomatic sources, the drone’s intended target was a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean. The name of the ship, its route and Ukrainian intelligence data were not publicly disclosed.

The main problem is that the drone did not reach its intended target, lost control and ended up near a popular tourist island.

On a different route, the device could have collided with a passenger ferry, cruise ship, yacht or merchant ship.

Apologies without cancellation of operations

Ukraine officially apologized to Greece for the incident. Kyiv has declared its commitment to international law and its interest in preventing such incidents.

However, according to Euractiv, Ukrainian diplomats simultaneously made it clear that Kyiv does not intend to stop attacks on Russian ships on the high seas.

The Ukrainian side refers to Article 51 of the UN Charterrecognizing the state’s right to individual and collective self-defense.

Thus, the apology apparently concerned loss of control of the drone and its appearance near the Greek coastbut did not mean abandonment of the naval campaign itself.

Ukraine actually apologized for the technical result of the operation, but not for the decision to conduct similar operations in the Mediterranean Sea.

Why did Athens not receive the necessary guarantees?

Greece demanded not only an explanation and apology, but also guarantees that the Mediterranean will not become a new theater of war.

However, Kyiv’s answer, if the information from diplomatic sources is correct, boils down to the following: The Ukrainian side will take into account Greek concerns, but will not change its own military strategy.

Formally, Ukraine is talking about attacks on the high seas, and not in Greek territorial waters. But the previous incident has already shown that A drone that has lost contact is unable to respect maritime boundaries.

Therefore, new operations may affect:

• Greek territorial waters;
• international trade routes;
• passenger and tourist shipping;
• environmental safety of the Greek islands;
• economic interests of the country.

For Athens, this is not an abstract dispute about Ukraine’s right to self-defense, but a direct threat to security in one of the most important tourist and shipping areas in Europe.

Ukraine made claims against Greece itself

Kyiv also referred to the 1996 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Greece and Ukraine. The document provides for consultations when a situation arises that could threaten international peace and security.

According to the Ukrainian side, Athens overly politicized the incident in the media even before full consultations with Kyiv.

However, this argument does not answer the main question: Why did an armed Ukrainian drone end up in Greek territorial waters without prior notification to Greece?.

Demanding compliance with diplomatic procedures after a device with explosives has already washed up on a Greek island looks rather peculiar. Typically, consultations are carried out before the launch of a weapon, and not after it is discovered by fishermen.

Not every Russian ship is a military target

Article 51 of the UN Charter does recognize Ukraine’s right to self-defense. However, it does not make any Russian merchant ship a legitimate military target.

According to international humanitarian law, a civilian ship can become a military target only if its use makes an effective contribution to the war effortand its destruction provides a specific military advantage.

Additional questions arise if the tanker is flying the flag of a third country, has a civilian crew and is following a busy international route.

Even when there is a legitimate military objective, Ukraine is obliged to respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and the protection of civilian navigation.

The right to self-defense also does not relieve the state from responsibility for an apparatus that has lost control and ended up on the territory of another state.

Political signal for Greece

Kyiv’s position looks like a refusal to recognize Athens’ right to set limits on Ukrainian operations in the Mediterranean.

Greece can make diplomatic moves, demand explanations and publicly express outrage. But Ukraine, judging by the published information, intends to act based primarily on own military interests.

This is especially painful for Athens, since Greece provided political, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine.

Now the state receiving this support effectively tells the Greek government that its objections will be heard, but will not become an obstacle to further operations.

Editorial comment

The Euractiv message cannot be passed off as an official quote from Vladimir Zelensky. It is based on information from diplomatic sources, and Kyiv has not publicly declared its intention to attack Russian ships directly in Greek territorial waters.

However the political meaning of what is happening is obvious. Athens has demanded guarantees that armed Ukrainian drones will no longer pose a threat near the Greek islands. In response, Kyiv reportedly said that attacks on Russian ships would continue.

Formally, we are talking about the open sea. In practice, the previous drone has already shown how arbitrary this boundary becomes after loss of control.

Greece supports Ukraine’s right to protection, but is not obliged to accept its islands, tourist routes and commercial shipping becoming collateral to Ukrainian operations.

If the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis again confines itself to statements and does not achieve real guarantees, Kyiv will receive a clear signal: the Greek protests have no practical consequences.

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