Greek investigators believe an explosives-laden military sea drone discovered on a Greek island last week likely lost its course due to a technical malfunction, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The drone, which Greece says is Ukrainian despite Kyiv officially denying the claim, was found by fishermen on the shores of Lefkada on May 7, sparking diplomatic tensions between Athens and Ukraine.

Greek intelligence and military experts have since been analyzing the vessel, dismantling it and using reverse engineering techniques to determine its capabilities and possible launch point.

Investigators are also examining metadata recovered from the drone to establish details about its mission and whether it was launched from shore or from a mother ship, potentially from locations as far away as Libya across the Mediterranean.

As reported in Reuters, a security source said investigators believe the drone likely failed to reach its intended target after losing orientation because of a technical issue.

“This issue is very serious. This vessel … had explosives, endangering the safety of navigation,” Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said on Thursday. “I don’t want to think what it would mean for a passenger ship or any ship to collide with that drone.”

Dendias reiterated Greece’s position that the drone was Ukrainian.

Preliminary findings suggest the vessel may not have travelled a long distance before being discovered, making a launch from Libya appear less likely, according to a security source. Another official said remaining fuel levels are an important part of the assessment but declined to provide further details.

Sources told Reuters that the technical analysis is nearly complete, although some encrypted data still needs to be decoded.

Ukraine has increasingly used sea drones over the past year to target vessels it says are linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which Kyiv accuses of helping Moscow bypass sanctions and continue oil exports funding the war effort.

Greece has informed the European Union about the incident. Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said this week from Brussels that Athens is prepared to file a formal complaint once the investigation is completed.

Source: tovima.com

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