Attacks on ships force Greece to exercise readiness with a tanker strike scenario

A large-scale marine pollution response exercise will be held on Tuesday, March 31, in Elefsina, Greece, in the presence of the minister of maritime affairs and insular policy Vasilis Kikilias, with the aim of testing the preparedness, response speed, and coordination of all involved agencies.

The drill forms part of the preparation for responding to the increased challenges affecting shipping, supply chains, energy transport and the maritime sector in general.

The scenario includes an attack on a tanker by an unmanned aircraft, which causes an oil spill and immediately activates the mechanisms for responding to marine pollution.

The exercise will involve Hellenic Coast Guard assets, alongside private-sector resources and specialized anti-pollution equipment.

Coordination procedures with regional and local authorities – including regions, municipalities, port authorities, and port funds – will also be tested in real-time conditions.

In parallel, local exercises will be held in all port authorities of the country, with the aim of strengthening operational readiness at the national level.

In an interview on Friday to the Skai 100.3 radio station with journalists Vassilis Chiotis and Notis Papadopoulos, Mr. Kikilias stressed the importance of preparedness amid an increasingly uncertain international environment.

“In the context of prevention, in an environment of international instability and unpredictable developments, we are obliged to develop scenarios and train our personnel, so that we can intervene effectively to protect the marine environment, our coasts and our seas. For this reason, a large-scale exercise to respond to a marine pollution incident will be held next Tuesday, with a scenario of a strike on a tanker by an unmanned vehicle, causing an oil spill. The aim is to test the readiness, speed of reaction and activation of available resources, both of the Coast Guard and private entities, including private vessels and anti-pollution equipment, as well as the coordination procedures with all relevant stakeholders,” he added.

Kikilias also noted that the regions, municipalities, port organizations and port funds will be informed, in order to implement corresponding exercises at the local level, in all port authorities of the country.