Greek frigates continue patrols in Cyprus maritime area
The two frigates Kimon and Psara, sent by Greece to support Cyprus in stepping up its military defence, continued patrolling the Republic’s maritime area from the port of Limassol on Saturday, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.
He said the frigates are carrying on with efforts to strengthen Cyprus’ defences as part of the preventive action taken in cooperation with the Greek government.
A video shared by the navy on Friday showed the Kimon vessel departing from the port of Limassol to patrol the area after refuelling.
The Greek frigates had arrived in Limassol shortly after dawn on Wednesday.
Their deployment is part of a series of military and diplomatic manoeuvres by Athens aimed at bolstering Cyprus’ security amid rising tensions in the Middle East, part of which resulted in the launch of Iran-backed Hezbollah drones towards the British bases located on the island earlier in the week.
The frigates are equipped with the Centavros combat system, designed to detect and neutralise drone threats.
The system was previously used to intercept drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthi movement in the Red Sea in 2024 and has since been integrated with Israel’s Barak MX air defence system, acquired by Cyprus in 2025.
In addition to the frigates, several Greek air assets remain active on the island. These include four F-16 fighter jets currently stationed at the Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos.
A Greek C-130 transport aircraft has also been deployed to support logistics and coordination.
President Nikos Christodoulides, speaking after meeting Greek defence minister Nikos Dendias on Tuesday, said Cyprus and Greece “stand united” and would “always be part of the solution” during the current crisis.