Greece authorities have safely disabled an explosive-laden naval drone discovered by fishermen in the Ionian Sea near Lefkada, triggering fresh concerns about maritime security and the spread of modern drone warfare into the Mediterranean.
The unmanned vessel, believed to be a Ukrainian-made Magura drone, was reportedly carrying around 100kg of explosives and was found with its engine still running before bomb disposal teams removed its detonators and carried out a controlled blast offshore.
Greek media reported handwritten Ukrainian notes were recovered from the craft, while investigators are examining whether it drifted off course during transport or may have been intended for an operation involving Russian shipping.
The incident has fuelled political criticism inside Greece, with opposition parties questioning how such a device entered Greek territorial waters and warning the country may be unprepared for emerging military threats.
🚨Greek fishermen on the island of Lefkada have pulled a live Ukrainian MAGURA V5 naval drone out of a sea cave near Cape Doukato.
On May 7, local boats from Vasiliki found the 5m black USV hidden inside the cave in the Ionian Sea — engine still running, fitted with three… pic.twitter.com/5LnJOyKGqp
— EuroGhost (@EuroGhost3) May 9, 2026
