Kathimerini Greece Newsroom
Greece and Ukraine are moving ahead with a joint plan to build unmanned surface vessels, essentially crewless naval craft, at Greek shipyards, in what officials are calling one of the most concrete takeaways from Sunday’s meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The deal, reported by Kathimerini's Vasilis Nedos, calls for a new production line in Greece to turn out upgraded versions of the USVs Ukraine already uses in the war, systems tested on real battlefields and credited with helping push back the Russian fleet in the Black Sea.
Under the agreement, part of the output will go straight to Ukraine’s military, while the rest will strengthen Greece’s own arsenal. Greek companies will supply electronics, sensors, optical gear, and, if needed, explosive components. Ukraine currently produces 15 different types of USVs, and the joint model is expected to be a more advanced version of what’s already in service.
The partnership may also expand underwater. If the surface-vessel program goes well, Athens and Kyiv are expected to explore co-production of unmanned underwater vehicles too, an area where Ukrainian defense tech is evolving at breakneck speed, with battlefield tactics reportedly updated every week to counter fast-changing Russian drone strategies.
For Greece, the project brings three big advantages. First, officials say it gives Athens access to combat-proven technology. Second, it helps Greek industry break into a hotly competitive global field. And third, it helps Greece narrow the gap with Turkey, which rolled out its first USV in 2021 and has been expanding its fleet ever since.
Funding is in place through Greece’s long-term defense procurement plan for 2025–2036, and the two countries will seek additional support through EU SAFE loans, which offer low-cost financing for weapons co-production with eligible non-EU partners like Ukraine.
A Greek military delegation and shipyard representatives will head to Ukraine soon to hammer out the next steps. The cooperation was briefly referenced in a joint seven-point statement, noting plans to deepen defense ties focused on maritime security, including the development and use of unmanned surface vessels.
