Greece is preparing diplomatic steps aft discovering Lefkada Ukrainian maritime drone MAGURA with explosives. The authorities tin nary longer unreal that this is an mean incident.
A story that began arsenic strange find of fishermen successful the oversea cave, has present officially reached the level Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and nationalist information issues.
Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritisarriving astatine a gathering of the Council of Foreign Ministers EU successful Brussels, said that we are talking astir “especially superior developments”. According to him, the probe is ongoing General Staffwhich should found the technical characteristics of the instrumentality and the circumstances of the incident. Once the reappraisal is completed, the Greek authorities will take the indispensable diplomatic steps.
Formally Herapetritis did not sanction the state to which the demarche would beryllium addressed. But aft reports that the recovered instrumentality was Ukrainian naval drone MAGURAthe governmental addressee becomes rather obvious. Otherwise, the diplomatic demarche would person to beryllium directed to the oversea cave, and this is simply a small bold adjacent for modern European diplomacy.
The curate himself emphasized: “Greece will not let subject actions to make successful the wider Mediterranean area, particularly successful the absorption of Greece”. He besides said that such incidents airs a immense hazard to state of navigation, the information of citizens and the environment. According to him, Greece will take each indispensable steps to Mediterranean Sea did not go a theater of subject operations.
From the “unknown apparatus” to the Ukrainian MAGURA
Until the latest announcements, the authorities tried to stick to a cautious formula: recovered successful Lefkada The instrumentality is allegedly still being studied, its root is being clarified, and its technical characteristics are being checked. But this enactment looked little and little convincing. According to Greek publications, we are talking astir a Ukrainian naval drone MAGURA – an unmanned surface onslaught vessel used successful the war against Russian targets astatine sea.
The instrumentality was recovered by fishermen successful a oversea cave adjacent the cape Ducatoin the south Lefkada. It was reported that its motor continued to run. Fishermen secured the drone and towed it to the larboard Vasilikiafter which they began an probe coast guard, Hellenic Navy, Greek Ministry of National Defense And Εθνική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών (National Intelligence Service of Greece, ΕΥΠ).
This information successful itself looks similar a nonaccomplishment of the power system. A subject maritime drone ended up disconnected a Greek island, and the archetypal to brushwood it were not the special services oregon the navy, but mean fishermen. If the instrumentality was successful combat condition, a tragedy could hap adjacent earlier the state had clip to instrumentality its usual procedure: archetypal not to understand, then to study, then to accidental that everything is under control.
100 kg of explosives and the question of the target
Initially, the accusation tract included estimates up to 300 kg combat load. Later, the Greek media began to talk astir 100 kg of explosiveswhich were neutralized by a controlled explosion. This accommodation does not marque the incidental immoderate little dangerous. One 100 kilograms of explosives disconnected a Greek land is not a technical item and not a crushed for soothing property releases.
According to publications, the instrumentality was designed to strike a target utilizing the kamikaze method, that is, it was supposed to collide with a vessel and explode. Ukraine has already used such maritime drones against Russian ships and vessels associated with Russian maritime exports. That is why the main script became the version of a imaginable onslaught connected a Russian vessel oregon tanker associated with the so-called shadow fleet.
In this context, vessel tracking information is particularly important. Based connected accusation discussed successful the Greek property and based connected information MarineTrafficduring the corresponding play a Russian tanker really passed done this oversea corridor. If this is simply a coincidence, it requires an explanation. If it’s not a coincidence, adjacent much so.
The main question present sounds different: “what benignant of drone is this?” This question has really already been answered. The main question is different: where did it travel from, who controlled its route, was the extremity determined successful advance, why did the instrumentality extremity up astatine Lefkada and what the Greek services knew earlier the fishermen recovered the drone.
Athens tin nary longer fell down the look “we don’t know”
Statement Herapetritis efficaciously means that the authorities tin nary longer fell down a look “We don’t cognize who owns the device”. If diplomatic demarches are being prepared, it means that Athens already has capable grounds to see the incidental not a random find, but an occurrence related to the actions of a overseas state.
Before this, the authorities enactment looked highly uncomfortable. On the 1 hand, the authorities could not openly admit the Ukrainian trail too quickly, so arsenic not to make a diplomatic situation with an ally. On the different hand, it was intolerable to endlessly unreal that the onslaught oversea drone with explosives recovered disconnected the Greek land flew from the world of undefined objects, where everything is ever “checked” and thing is ever called by its due name.
Now the question is straightforward. If Ukrainian MAGURA ended up astatine Lefkada Unbeknownst to the Greek authorities, this means a superior nonaccomplishment of maritime control. If the Greek structures knew much than they are willing to admit publicly, then we are nary longer talking astir an accidental discovery, but astir the country’s soundless engagement successful the operations of someone else’s war.
In some cases, the authorities indispensable supply answers. Who discovered the instrumentality first? Why was it not detected by subject surveillance systems? How did helium extremity up successful a oversea cave? Was it damaged? Have you mislaid control? Was there a target waiting? Was portion of a radical of drones? Why were civilian fishermen the archetypal radical to brushwood a perchance explosive subject facility?
The Mediterranean arsenic a caller war zone
It is particularly alarming that Herapetritis straight linked the incidental to the hazard of conversion Mediterranean Sea to the theater of subject operations. This is nary longer the usual diplomatic caution. This is an acknowledgment that the war betwixt Ukraine And Russia is gradually spreading on maritime routes, vigor transportation and zones that until precocious were considered the periphery of the conflict.
For Greece such a imaginable is particularly dangerous. The state has a immense coastline, dozens of islands, a strategic presumption successful the Eastern Mediterranean and 1 of the astir important merchant fleets successful the world. Any enlargement of subject operations into maritime routes adjacent the Greek islands automatically becomes a menace not lone to overseas policy, but besides to the economy, shipping, tourism, ports and the information of citizens.
Ukraine whitethorn view attacks connected Russian tankers arsenic portion of a war against Moscow’s sources of income. Russia whitethorn view such actions arsenic an hold of the conflict. But Greece successful this scheme, there is simply a hazard of becoming not a subordinate successful the decision, but a territory adjacent which operations are unfolding, the consequences of which will person to beryllium explained to Greek society.
That is why the statement Herapetritis important. It shows that Athens was opening to understand the standard of the problem. But understanding is not the answer. The effect will beryllium specific actions: diplomatic demarches, an authoritative mentation of the drone’s route, a menace assessment, parliamentary power and measures that will forestall a recurrence of such an incident.
The Libyan trace and the way question
At the aforesaid time, from the very information of detection of the Ukrainian MAGURA disconnected the seashore Greece It does not automatically travel that the motorboat was carried retired from Greek territory. One of the astir superior alternate versions remains Libya. International publications antecedently reported the beingness of Ukrainian maritime drone specialists successful the areas Tripoli, Misurata, Zawiya and connected the Libyan coast.
It is the Libyan absorption that has already been associated with attacks connected Russian ships successful the Mediterranean Sea. If the drone Lefkada came from there, this does not region the questions from Athens. On the contrary, it shows that the war astatine oversea has already spread acold beyond the Black Sea and is moving on routes where merchant ships, tankers and Greek economical interests pass.
Other scenarios are besides possible: nonaccomplishment of control, technical malfunction, navigation failure, deviation from the group, effort to fell oregon provocation against Greece. But immoderate of these options requires not silence, but an probe with nationalist conclusions. Because a subject drone with explosives disconnected a Greek land is not an abstract version, but a factual entity that has already been found, towed and rendered harmless.
You won’t beryllium capable to unopen up
Unlike cases where allied subject allows an inconvenient incidental to beryllium rapidly swept into the shadows, the story of MAGURA astatine Lefkada too unsafe to beryllium silenced. This is not an abstract occurrence of war somewhere connected the periphery of Europe, but a Ukrainian onslaught naval drone with explosives disconnected a Greek island, adjacent to planetary shipping routes.
For Greece The oversea is not a geographical decoration, but the ground of security, trade and economy. Therefore, immoderate subject entity that appears adjacent the islands without a wide mentation automatically becomes a governmental issue. Who directed him? Where did helium travel from? Why did the fishermen find him? Was there a target nearby? And what did the Greek services know?
After such incidents, the authorities cannot bounds themselves to the usual look of an ongoing investigation. Because if today an onslaught drone ended up successful Lefkadatomorrow, successful the aforesaid way, a caller “accident” whitethorn originate adjacent different island, larboard oregon trade route. And an mishap that carries explosives usually requires not silence, but explanation.
PS. Latvian example: Ukrainian drone, allied damage
Almost simultaneously with past Lefkada akin successful logic the incidental occurred successful Latvia. According to planetary agencies, two drones, astir apt launched Ukraine against Russian targets, entered Latvian airspace from Russia and fell connected its territory. One of them exploded adjacent an lipid storage installation successful Rezeknedamaging the tanks.
Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds stated that the drones, according to a preliminary version, were Ukrainian and were intended to strike targets successful Russia. He besides acknowledged that such devices indispensable beryllium changeable down and took governmental work for the actions of the subject and the Ministry of Defense. This is an important point: the Latvian broadside really recognized the Ukrainian root of the drones, but astatine the aforesaid clip transferred the governmental accent to the contented of aerial security.
After this, the caput of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Andrey Sibiga stated that if it is confirmed that these were Ukrainian drones deliberately knocked disconnected people by Russian physics warfare systems, Kyiv will apologize to Latvia. The strategy turned retired to beryllium astir exemplary for a caller war: the apparatus is Ukrainian, the target is Russian, the harm is allied, the mentation is Russian power connected the route.
For the Greek case, this is important not arsenic nonstop evidence, but arsenic a warning. Modern drones are progressively operating successful groups, leaving the route, losing control, ending up successful third countries and creating governmental consequences where nary 1 formally expected them. Therefore Ukrainian MAGURA astatine Lefkada cannot beryllium attributed to accidental without a wide explanation.
The lone quality is that successful the lawsuit Greece we are not talking astir an aerial drone implicit the borderline zone, but astir attack naval drone with explosives adjacent the island, close to shipping routes. And present it will nary longer beryllium imaginable to fell down a diplomatic operation astir an ongoing investigation. The question is too simple: who is liable for the information that someone else’s war has travel to Greek shores?
The main decision is unpleasant, but obvious: The war successful Ukraine has agelong gone beyond Ukrainian territory. It moves on oversea routes, on vigor flows, done shadiness fleets, done bases, done drones and done areas where ineligible work becomes murky, similar water aft an explosion. Now 1 such drone is successful Lefkada. For Athens This is not a crushed to unreal that thing happened. This is an juncture to explicate however adjacent someone else’s war came to the Greek shores.
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