MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. Kiev intends to broaden its sabotage activity to the Mediterranean Sea and continue attacking Russian ships in international waters, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) told TASS.
Western media earlier reported information according to which after an incident involving the appearance of a Ukrainian uncrewed boat with explosives in the Ionian Sea, Kiev unofficially informed Athens of its intention to continue attacks on Russian vessels in international waters in the future as well.
"The incident with the uncrewed boat has become a step towards legitimizing future sabotage operations against the merchant fleet of Russia and our friendly countries and towards further restricting our navigation capabilities in that area. All this testifies to the fact that Kiev is expanding its sabotage operation zone and all this, of course, is being done by agreement with NATO, as we understand that the Ukrainian armed forces have no military facilities in the Mediterranean whatsoever," the expert said.
According to Stepanov, any future actions against Russia’s merchant fleet in the Mediterranean Sea will depend on NATO states’ shore infrastructure.
In May, Greece’s Skai TV channel reported that a Greek fisherman found a Ukrainian-made Magura V5 unmanned boat with detonators, a large amount of explosives and with its engine running in a cave near Lefkada Island in the Ionian Sea. According to various local media reports, the naval drone was packed with 100 to 300 kg of explosives, which were defused by bomb disposal experts. In early June, Greek Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lana Zochiou stated that Athens lodged a protest with Kiev over the naval drone.
In June, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry apologized to Greece for the incident in the Ionian Sea; however, Western media later reported, citing diplomatic sources, that Kiev informally notified Athens of its intention to attack Russian merchant vessels in international waters also in the future.