Greece leaves open further diplomatic action to protect Black Sea shipping

Greece is leaving open the possibility of further diplomatic and institutional action to protect its merchant shipping in the Black Sea. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou made the statement to the Greek parliament on 6 November 2026, Greek news outlet Ethnos reported.

Greece condemns attacks and has delivered a démarche

Papadopoulou said Greece condemned attacks on merchant vessels engaged in lawful activity, regardless of their origin.

She said Athens had delivered a diplomatic démarche to the relevant Ukrainian authorities on 17 September over attacks on vessels with Greek interests. The issue had also been raised at European level through Greece’s permanent representation in Brussels.

A démarche is a formal diplomatic representation, but the fact that it was addressed to the Ukrainian authorities does not in itself establish Ukrainian responsibility for the attacks. Raising the issue in Brussels likewise does not mean that a common European decision has been adopted. The announced position concerns diplomatic action, not a military escort or a new arrangement for protecting ships.

Ethnos links debate to attack off Bulgaria

According to Ethnos, the parliamentary debate was linked to the sinking of a Greek-owned container ship following an attack by three unmanned aerial vehicles off Bulgaria. This account comes from the outlet, not from a published technical investigation.

Ethnos does not name the ship or provide coordinates. The description “off Bulgaria” does not establish whether the incident took place in Bulgarian territorial waters, nor does it allow the account to be linked to any specific other incident. No evidence identifying the perpetrator is provided either.

It remains to be clarified which vessels and attacks were the subject of the September démarche and what further measures Athens might take. The story is still developing and further information may be added.