Mystery drone boat ‘armed with explosives’ discovered in Greece | World | News

A drone boat believed to be carrying explosives has been secured after fishermen discovered it in Greek waters. The Ukrainian-made unmanned surface vehicle (USV) was spotted in a cave off the Ionian island of Lefkada on Thursday, but it is unclear how it got there.

On Friday, the ship was moved to a naval base on mainland Greece for inspection, public broadcaster ERT reported. Officials told Reuters that the MAGURA V3 seaplane was equipped with three detonators and packed with explosives. Drones are used for reconnaissance and strike missions with a range of 500 miles and a top speed of approximately 50 mph.

While bomb disposal experts will disassemble the unmanned aerial vehicle and remove its batteries, security forces will launch an investigation into what the ship was doing there.

A coast guard source said investigators will examine whether the drone targeted ships carrying Russian oil to the Mediterranean.

A maritime security source added that the boat may have been among similar drones or went off course after signal failure.

Ukraine has used naval drones to target Russian warships, tankers and naval bases, but most of this activity remains in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian army has not yet made a statement about the incident.

Another theory being considered is that the ship was used for drug smuggling, but there is no confirmation on this matter.

Lefkada mayor Xenophon Verginis told Ta Nea newspaper: “We don’t know exactly what it is about, but drug trafficking from the Albanian coast often takes place in this area.

“Authorities were immediately notified and investigations are ongoing.”