Newsroom
A suspected attack on an offshore gas platform can quickly turn into several emergencies at once. Crews need to secure the area, get the injured to hospital and contain any pollution before it spreads. That was the kind of crisis Cyprus and seven partner countries rehearsed in the NEMESIS 2026 exercise, which wrapped up Wednesday in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone.
The drill brought together personnel from Cyprus, Greece, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Israel, Italy and Egypt, along with more than 15 Cypriot public services. Teams practiced boarding suspicious vessels, airlifting injured workers, rescuing people on a large scale and responding to marine pollution. A Greek F-16 flew over the exercise area.
The timing matters for Cyprus. Drilling is resuming in its exclusive economic zone, and Joint Rescue Coordination Center commander Yiorgos Economou said the exercise tested how Cypriot agencies and foreign partners would work together in an emergency as offshore energy activity picks up.
The rescue center led the drill alongside the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, the National Guard, Cyprus Police and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research. Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas watched from the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base in Mari. He said the exercise gave the agencies a chance to see how well their emergency procedures work when several services and countries have to respond together.
For coastal communities, the oil spill response is a practical part of that preparation. Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis said Cyprus is investing in specialized vessels and equipment to deal with oil pollution at sea. He also pointed to cooperation with Greece and Israel, saying a coordinated response is important to protecting the Eastern Mediterranean’s waters and coastlines.
