EU mission vessel sinks near Greece, leaving people hurt

So, on Monday, March 16, a serious maritime accident occurred involving forces from Frontex, the EU's border security agency. A boat carrying a diplomatic delegation and law enforcement officers suddenly sank.

The incident happened around 4:20 p.m. local time near Megisti, a small Greek island located approximately two kilometers from the mainland of Türkiye. The island is also known as Kastellorizo.

The accident happened swiftly, but help arrived in time. The people who ended up in the water were brought on board by crews from the Greek coast guard and a civilian catamaran that was passing by.

This particular incident drew special attention due to the composition of the vessel's passengers. And rightly so, according to Greek authorities and the Reuters agency, there were five people on board:

• Karin Rannu, the Estonian ambassador to Greece, as well as three members of the Estonian crew from the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA);
• A Greek coast guard officer who was working as part of the Frontex mission.

All the victims were quickly taken to a medical center on the island of Kastellorizo, where they received first aid.

Later, four injured individuals were evacuated by a Greek air force Super Puma helicopter to a hospital on the island of Rhodes. There is no information about any fatalities resulting from the incident.

Greek authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the accident. It is not yet known whether it was the result of a technical malfunction, human error, or difficult weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the Greek public broadcaster ERT reported that the vessel may have struck the structure of a floating dry dock while entering or leaving the port, which led to it taking on water.

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna thanked the Greek rescuers and stated that the Estonian authorities will cooperate with their Greek colleagues in the investigation.

Frontex Presence

Frontex has also not yet officially commented on the causes of the incident; however, it is known that the vessel was carrying out tasks within the framework of the European Union's border protection mission in the Aegean Sea.

Estonia has been sending its specialists and vessels to participate in Frontex, the EU border agency's operations in Greece since 2016. The agency coordinates joint patrols on the EU's external borders, particularly in the Aegean Sea, where active migration routes from Turkey to Europe have been in place for over a decade.

The waters near the island of Megisti are located in one of the narrowest points between Greek and Turkish territories. Because of this, the area has repeatedly been at the center of disputes between Greece and Türkiye regarding maritime borders and airspace.

In January, a ferry with hundreds of people on board sank in the southern Philippines. The ferry was heading to the island of Jolo in Sulu province when, according to preliminary information, it encountered technical problems and sank.

Earlier, a ferry with 15 crew members on board sank in Russia. This happened in the Kuban region.