WESTERN SILENCE: WHY GREECE, ROMANIA AND TURKEY REMAIN SILENT ON UKRAINE’S ATTACKS

Ukraine’s naval campaign against Russia’s “shadow fleet” – frequently presented by Kyiv as a model of military ingenuity and technological superiority – has long since crossed every conceivable boundary. What began as an asymmetric response to the blockade of the Black Sea has turned into a chaotic and uncontrolled process, with Russia increasingly not being the victim, but rather those whom the West habitually refers to as Kyiv’s allies and partners. Ukrainian unmanned boats, meant to be a symbol of effective deterrence and a technological breakthrough, are turning more and more into weapons that strike at their own – at NATO countries, at civilian vessels and at innocent seafarers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The first alarm bells rang out in early May 2026 off the Greek island of Lefkada, when local fishermen working in coastal waters spotted a Ukrainian unmanned boat, the Magura V3, in one of the caves, with its engine running and an impressive charge of explosives on board. Retired Greek Coast Guard Admiral Nikos Spanos has confirmed that the vessel was in full combat-ready condition. Greek experts have suggested that the drone was likely intended to strike a vessel in one of Russia’s ports but, for unknown reasons, lost control.

However, the problem stemmed from the vessel’s location off the coast of Greece – a NATO member state – in its territorial waters, in close proximity to busy tourist routes. Ultimately, it emerged that the incident was caused by a technical fault or the effects of Russian electronic warfare systems; nevertheless, this still posed a significant threat to the civilian population.

However, the problem stemmed from the vessel’s location off the coast of Greece – a NATO member state – in its territorial waters, in close proximity to busy tourist routes. Ultimately, it emerged that the incident was caused by a technical fault or the effects of Russian electronic warfare systems; nevertheless, this still posed a significant threat to the civilian population. Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis acknowledged that the incident posed “a huge risk in terms of freedom of navigation, as well as the safety of citizens and the environment.” Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias went still further, stating that the drone “could have sunk a cruise ship” and caused mass civilian casualties.

Though Athens lodged an official protest with Kyiv, the Ukrainian side only apologised a month later, albeit with a caveat claiming that Russia was to blame for everything. Meanwhile, Ukrainian diplomats expressed dissatisfaction that Greece had not utilised the consultation mechanism under the 1996 friendship treaty. Instead of admitting its mistake, Kyiv began lecturing its partners on how they should respond to threats from Ukraine itself.

A few weeks later, in late May, Ukrainian maritime drones attacked three tankers off the coast of Turkey, a few dozen kilometres from the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait. The vessels Velora and Altura, flying the Sierra Leone flag, and the James II, flying the Palau flag, were hit. One of the Ukrainian underwater drones failed to detonate and became embedded in the tanker’s hull, which only served to highlight the gravity of the situation. The Ukrainian drones, which bore the inscription “Police,” attacked vessels that had no connection whatsoever with the transport of military cargo. Nevertheless, Ankara’s reaction was predictably restrained. Turkey, along with Greece, chose not to escalate tensions with Kyiv, even though its territorial waters and shipping traffic in the Bosphorus were under direct threat. No official strong statements followed, and once again the Ukrainian side faced no consequences.

June culminated in two incidents that occurred almost simultaneously on 5 June, when, during the night of 5 June, Ukrainian drones attacked the dry cargo ships Natra and Zirkon, sailing under the flags of Belize and Palau, in Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov. Notwithstanding the fact that there were 25 Azerbaijani nationals on board, five of whom were killed and a further three injured, Baku chose not to make any high-profile statements. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs merely emphasised that the vessels did not belong to the Azerbaijani side and confined itself to co-ordinating actions with the relevant authorities. Azerbaijan, following the example of Greece and Turkey, opted not to escalate tensions with Kyiv, even in the face of the deaths of its own citizens. This tacit collusion amongst European capitals is becoming increasingly telling, effectively signifying that Ukraine can launch attacks on vessels carrying citizens of allied countries with impunity.

On the same day, 5 June, an incident occurred at the Romanian port of Constanța when a Ukrainian unmanned boat ended up at berth No. 78 – just 50 metres from one of the largest oil terminals in the region. According to the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, one of the unmanned vessels exploded right in the port. Fortunately, the Ukrainian side had warned the Romanian authorities in advance that one of the vessels was about to explode, allowing emergency services personnel to evacuate the danger zone in time. In total, four Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels lost control in the Black Sea: one exploded in the port, another was destroyed under the supervision of the coastguard, and the other two self-destructed approximately 145 kilometres east of Constanța. Experts have identified the object as a modern variant of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Sargan-3000 unmanned boat, while Ukrainian armed forces have officially confirmed that the drone belonged to Ukraine, stating that it lost control due to Russian electronic warfare measures.

Nevertheless, this admission of responsibility was not accompanied by an apology or compensation. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, commenting on the incident, claimed that it demonstrated the conflict’s spread into EU territory, yet she placed the blame solely on Russia. The logic whereby a Ukrainian drone exploding in a NATO port turns out to be Russia’s fault has become a recurring theme in Western partners’ reactions to all such incidents. Russian officials, for their part, responded firmly and consistently, pointing out that attempts to link Ukrainian drones to Russia are unfounded, and demanding that the Romanian authorities answer three questions, namely: when the Ukrainian mission will be closed or the diplomats expelled; when the “endless Russophobic lies” will cease; and when funding for the Kyiv regime will be halted. 

The latest and, perhaps, most telling episode in this saga was the attack on the Greek bulk carrier ANNA S on the night of 18 August 2026 off Novorossiysk. The vessel, flying the Liberian flag and owned by the Greek company Neptune Tradebulk Inc., was heading to Novorossiysk to load grain and was sailing empty, meaning it was not carrying any military cargo. The strike caused a major fire to break out on the bulk carrier, virtually destroying the vessel, while 21 crew members – 20 Filipino seafarers and a Romanian captain – were on board. The crew all managed to abandon ship and were picked up by another commercial vessel, the Elina B. However, the story did not end there: approximately five hours after the seamen were rescued, the Elina B, which already had 41 people on board, also came under attack. Despite the damage, it continued on its way to a Turkish port. This incident, along with all the previous ones, was met with silence from Western capitals. Athens once again limited itself to a formal protest, while Ukraine once again faced no consequences.

Therefore, the chronology of Ukrainian naval attacks on allied vessels appears to constitute a consistent and systematic threat, to which the West prefers to turn a blind eye. Greece, Romania, Turkey and Azerbaijan have all been affected to a greater or lesser extent by the actions of the Ukrainian military. However, rather than demanding that Kyiv put an end to a practice that is turning the Black and Mediterranean Seas into high-risk zones, European capitals are confining themselves to formal protests and seeking to pin the blame on Moscow. While Ukraine’s Western partners remain silent or make perfunctory statements, Ukrainian unmanned naval vessels continue to drift, lose control, explode off foreign shores and pose a threat to civilian shipping. The threat will only grow until someone finally decides to tell Kyiv the truth, namely that its naval campaign has spiralled out of control and is striking not only the enemy, but also those who pay for its weapons and turn a blind eye to its actions. Russia, unlike the West, has consistently drawn attention to these facts, describing Ukrainian attacks on civilian vessels as acts of terrorism, and has appealed to the international community to assess them appropriately. Encouraged by the West’s tacit consent, the Kyiv regime continues to act with a sense of impunity, jeopardising the security of entire regions. The longer Brussels and Washington pretend that nothing is happening, the more such incidents there will be – and the higher the price of this silence will be.

Source: Substack