Ukraine and Greece in talks to produce naval drones together, but issues remain
Photo: Ukrainian naval drone Sea Baby (ssu.gov.ua)
Negotiations between Ukraine and Greece on joint production of naval drones have encountered difficulties due to differences over the conditions of their use, according to Kathimerini.
The agreement concerns the production of unmanned surface vessels with partial manufacturing to be transferred to Greek shipyards. However, according to the report, the sides have not been able to agree on licensing terms for potential resale of the drones.
In particular, Ukraine insists on having a say in how these drones are used by the Greek Armed Forces. Greece has rejected this condition, arguing it could limit the use of the systems in the event of a military conflict.
According to Kathimerini, Kyiv’s position may be linked to efforts to maintain a balance in relations with Turkey. Despite Ankara’s cooperation with Moscow in trade and energy, it remains an important partner for Ukraine, particularly in Black Sea security and diplomatic channels.
Despite these disagreements, talks between the sides are ongoing. Recently, Greek military officials visited Kyiv, where they discussed the technical aspects of potential cooperation.
Athens and Kyiv have long been working to expand cooperation in defense technologies, moving beyond purely military assistance.
According to sources, Greece has already received around €500 million for systems it transferred to Ukraine through partner channels, including via the United States, Germany, or the Czech Republic.
The agreement to begin talks on joint naval drone production was reached at the highest level — between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The goal of these talks is to relocate part of the production to Greek facilities, which would give Athens access to Ukrainian technologies that have been rapidly developed under wartime conditions.
Naval drones
As a reminder, Ukraine became the first country in the world to widely and effectively deploy naval drones to strike ships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, significantly shifting the balance of power in the Black Sea.
A notable example includes SBU Sea Baby drone strikes that hit two sanctioned oil tankers, KAIRO and VIRAT, belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet."
According to Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, Russia is now attempting to copy Ukrainian developments, although the effectiveness of Russian analogues has not yet been confirmed.
