Greek Military Investigates Unmanned Naval Drone in Ionian Sea
The Greek military is currently examining a mysterious unmanned naval drone that was discovered in the Ionian Sea by local fishermen.
The vessel was found in a cave near the island of Lefkada on Thursday. Upon discovery, the fishermen alerted the coast guard, which subsequently towed the drone to the nearby port of Vasiliki. The investigation is now being overseen by the Greek defence ministry.
According to reports in Greek media, the drone was carrying explosives and its engine was still running at the time it was found. These reports also suggest that the vessel could be either Ukrainian-made or connected to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The BBC has reached out to both the Greek and Ukrainian militaries for official comments regarding the incident.
Footage circulating on social media shows a Greek coast guard boat towing the several-metre-long drone to the port. The drone is dark-coloured with its top hatch open, and no visible markings are apparent in the video that could help identify its origin.
Greek military experts are tasked with determining the drone's possible purpose and investigating whether it entered Greek territorial waters due to a technical failure or loss of communication with its control centre.
Possible Connections to Russia-Ukraine Conflict
One theory suggests that the drone might have been prepared to target Russia's so-called "shadow fleet"—a term referring to hundreds of tankers transporting Moscow's oil and gas to circumvent Western sanctions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Greece's Ta Nea newspaper reports that the vessel resembles Ukraine's MAGURA V5 drone, which has been used effectively on several occasions. However, this claim has not been independently verified.
Ukrainian sea drones have significantly impacted naval warfare since the onset of Moscow's invasion, persistently targeting Russian warships and tankers both in open sea and at naval bases.
Previous Naval Drone Attacks
In November 2025, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a naval drone attack against two sanctioned Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea.
Footage verified by the BBC showed waterborne drones speeding across the waves toward the vessels before detonating in a ball of flame, sending black smoke into the air.
In March, Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking a sanctioned Russian tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas using "uncrewed sea drones" in the Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Malta.
The Arctic Metagaz tanker was severely damaged and later observed drifting out of control without any crew onboard.
Ukraine's military has not commented on reports linking it to that attack, which occurred thousands of miles from Ukraine's coast.
