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Greek authorities are investigating a drone boat found by fishermen in a cave on the Ionian island of Lefkada, Reuters reported on May 8, citing police and coast guard sources.
The Ukrainian-made Magura V3-type drone boat was found by local fishermen. It is still unclear how it reached Greek waters.
The drone boat is used for reconnaissance and strike missions, measuring 5.5 meters in length with a 150-200 kg warhead, top speeds up to 43–45 knots, and an operational range of 400-430 nautical miles. It can operate for up to 60 hours using a GPS-aided inertial navigation system, and an electro-optical system with satellite communication.
The sources who spoke to Reuters said that the drone boat was fitted with three detonators, which indicate that it was prepared for a strike mission.
One of the sources even claimed that it was loaded with explosives, though Greece’s army could not confirm this to Reuters.
Bomb disposal experts began dismantling the drone, removing its batteries, while divers were deployed at the scene. Security forces will lead the investigation to establish its technical characteristics and possible purpose, a military official told the news agency.
A coast guard source said that Investigators are examining whether the drone was intended to target ships carrying Russian oil in the wider Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, a maritime security source suggested to Reuters that the vessel may have been part of a shipment of such drones or could have drifted off course after a signal failure. Of course, this is highly unlikely.
The incident shows Ukraine’s complete disregard of all international norms, even towards NATO countries which have been very supportive of the regime in Kiev. It could also be considered a Ukrainian attempt to drag the organization to a more blatant conflict with Russia.
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