Greece deployed F-16 fighter jets after a drone believed to have come from Turkey was detected flying over an airport, according to Greek media and a military source.
The drone “illegally penetrated” Greek airspace near Alexandroupolis, the northeastern port city close to the Turkish border, triggering an immediate air force response, state broadcaster ERTnews reported.
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A Greek military source confirmed the incident.
European governments have raised their vigilance over drone incursions following a series of high-profile incidents linked to the Ukraine-Russia war, where armed unmanned aircraft have become a defining feature of the conflict.
Greek authorities have recorded a growing number of drone incursions since 2025.
ERTnews said the drone flew near the runway at Alexandroupolis airport today as a passenger aircraft was preparing to depart. Greek F-16s held on standby were launched without delay, the broadcaster reported.
News outlet Ekathimerini reported that two F-16s were scrambled. The passenger plane was instructed to switch runways and remain at low altitude until the area had been secured.
“It wasn’t a serious incident,” the military source told AFP.
He said the air force regularly responds to “incidents and daily interceptions” in northeastern Greece and across the southeastern Aegean Sea.
