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Twenty-five trucks passed through residential areas without anyone being informed. Video-evidence:
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Two former Chiefs of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, a former Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, and a Lieutenant General speak
by Paris Karvounopoulos, Vassilis Galoupis, Vangelis Triantis, and Ioanna Stasinos
What came out of the research:
- The unknown route of the convoy on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29-30, 2022, in the villages of Kozani
- “Ask the Greek authorities,” NATO officially replied to the Data Journalists, without denying it. Silence from the HNDGS.
- “The Police Directorate of Western Macedonia informed us by phone that yes, it was a transfer of ammunition,” a journalist from Kozani said. “Discussing with former military and reliable sources, it was a transfer of 155mm artillery shells.”
- Who is the Bulgarian company that made the transfer? Provides logistics services for “dangerous goods”, and has one of the largest private explosives and ammunition storage facilities in Southeast Europe – In 2013 it undertook and processed the transport of 300 tons of ammunition from Europe to North Africa
- Georgios Kampas (Chief of General Staff until 2020): “No other countries store ammunition here. The ammunition is Greek. ”
- Lt. Gen. Ret. Lambros Tzoumis: 17,000 155mm artillery shells must be replaced immediately.
- Ch. Christodoulou General Staff Ret. – Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff until 2020: “I am worried because nothing we have given has been replaced”.
What the local municipal authority says
- The Greek government’s incomprehensible secrecy – the only one that does not even inform Parliament about arms shipments to Ukraine
- Council on Foreign Relations: By November Greece had sent, in proportion to its GDP, the same military aid to Ukraine as the US and greater than Germany
In the villages of Kozani, traffic jams are unusual on weekdays. However, on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 29-30, 2022, the traffic on the small provincial roads was reminiscent of large urban centers. At dawn trucks, with foreign plates and insignia, were “craving” to pass through the “narrow” provincial road network.
The strange thing for the locals who woke up from the noise was that these 20-25 foreign trucks were accompanied by police cars. Some of the questions were solved, but not all of them, however, when the 30th of November dawned.
At 9.21 am, a local media outlet, kozanimedia, posted videos of the beastly trucks, which looked like refrigerated trucks, passing through the village of Lefkopigi, 8-10 km outside the city of Kozani. Of course, no great Athenian media outlet paid attention to this matter…
The report accompanying the shots referred to the direction of the convoy towards Kozani: “According to residents and readers, but also with the video below, these are trucks with Bulgarian and Polish plates, which transport ammunition, which they received from a NATO warehouse located around the Rhodian region, in an unknown direction,” noted kozanimedia.
He even spoke of the presence of patrol cars, estimating the number of trucks at 20-25, while “the Greek Police confirms the transfer of ammunition”.
The news has never been denied. And the questions that were raised were many:
- Did the material transported by the trucks actually come from NATO warehouses or did it belong to the Greek Army?
- If it was the Greek Army and the convoy went abroad, was the ammunition replaced?
- Why did they pick up the material handling trucks with foreign plates and insignia from Bulgaria and Poland?
- What was the destination of the trucks?
- Why was there no official information from the Greek authorities?
- And, of course, to what extent is it safe for so many trucks with war material to pass through residential areas of unsuspecting citizens?
Data Journalists conducted a large and multifaceted survey in order to answer the questions that have been raised.
According to residents and eyewitnesses, the convoy surely passed through several villages. The road after Egnatia leads to Vatero, to Argilos, then to Protohori, Lefkopigi which is the largest in the area to reach Kerasia and Rodiani, where in between is one of the local warehouses of the wider region, since there are others.
A noteworthy result of the investigation is that a local anti-imperialist organization had held a banner demonstration in the central square of Kozani a few days ago, warning that they would “come down to load” for the transport of ammunition and attributing it to NATO. The local publication also referred to a “NATO warehouse”.
However, our relevant question to NATO, whether this convoy was moved with order and ammunition of the Alliance, received the following answer: “Talk to the National Authorities” without, however, refuting the mission.
Data Journalists have submitted a relevant question to the HNDGS and are awaiting an answer. So far there is no reaction at all.
Lieutenant General Ret. Lambros Tzoumis points out that the type of ammunition sent to Ukraine is a cause for concern. He refers to 17,000 155mm artillery shells which he says should be replaced immediately.
In response to questions we asked local residents and media, they confirmed that this is the first time such an incident has occurred. It’s unusual, despite several military warehouses in the area.
The journalist from Kozani Panagiotis Pliatsios who published the issue told Data Journalists that “officially the Press Office of the General Regional Police Directorate of Western Macedonia informed us by phone that yes, it was a transfer of ammunition” and that “discussing with ex-military, with persons who know faces and situations and with reliable sources, we were told that it was probably a transfer of projectiles for artillery, 155 mm.”
Asked by Data Journalists whether the local Municipal Authority was aware, a representative from the Communication Office of the Municipality of Kozani confirmed the relevant pictures with the convoy.
In addition, a representative from the office of the Mayor of Kozani, after contacting us, assured us that there was no official written information sent to the office of the Mayor in order for the municipal authority to be informed about the transport operation that took place.
Data Journalists identified the Bulgarian company that made the transfer but did not receive any response to the question submitted to the CEO of Tempuslink ltd. The company has one of the largest private storage facilities for explosives and ammunition in Southeast Europe. In 2013 he undertook and completed the transport of 300 tons of ammunition from Europe to North Africa.
The Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff until 2020, Lieutenant General Ret. Georgios Kampas, tells us on camera that this is Greek ammunition: “No other countries store ammunition here. The ammunition is Greek, which is also used, if necessary, by NATO as per Article 5 and so on. ”
He also criticizes the lack of information, at least to the Parliament, on the transfers of military material abroad, stating his concern as to whether this material will be missing from the Greek armed forces:
- “These are things that leave Greece, its ammunition, which goes to Ukraine. If they go there, then there is ammunition that is operationally necessary and others that are not. If they are not operationally necessary, they may well, and with the House informed, sell, rent, or donate them. Operational necessities are criminal to give away because we are a country that does not have a neighborhood of angels around us. We have a lot of problems from the East, and we know them with Turkey. ”
- “I see that trucks and ammunition trucks are constantly leaving. And certainly this ammunition, because not just one or two but too many trucks left (meaning after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February), are beginning to deplete the ammunition stockpile in our country. “
- “What was the reason that convinced them to take our ammunition, usable and operationally necessary, and give it to Ukraine?”
According to the President of the Peace Committee of Kozani, Aristides Lampadas, who also presented us with two photos “the convoy had arrived the previous days and they spent the night in the city of Kozani. Everything was done secretly without any, of course, information about the danger of the whole operation. “
According to journalist Panagiotis Pliatsios, however, it is possible that there was a transfer with two different convoys, each of which had 20-25 trucks, with the second, however, not falling into the perception of the locals as happened with the first.
Data Journalists’ Questions and Official Answers by a NATO Official
NATO is not sending ammunition to Ukraine, only its member states, so ask the Greek authorities.
We addressed NATO and submitted three questions in writing, on the occasion of what was published in the local press in Kozani and the information to the Atlantic Alliance that Data Journalists are investigating this issue.
Our questions were whether there was indeed a transfer of ammunition or any other military material on behalf of NATO from Kozani, whether the Greek authorities knew about the transfer and what they were, and, finally, whether, if there was a transfer, they consider it safe for trucks with ammunition to pass through residential areas.
Our question was sent to NATO on January 4, 2023, and the answer we received from an official of the Atlantic Alliance came a day later, on January 5:
“NATO as an organization does not provide lethal assistance to Ukraine. NATO Allies have provided unprecedented support to Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and different types of military support. And the Allies are now offering longer-range, more advanced air-defense systems, more advanced artillery weapons, and more modern NATO-standard weapons.
We agreed to intensify and maintain our support for as long as it takes for Ukraine to prevail.
All this makes a difference on the battlefield every day, helping Ukraine defend its right to self-defense, which is enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
We agreed to intensify and maintain our support for as long as it takes for Ukraine to prevail.
For your specific question, we refer you to the national authorities. ”
The Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff until 2020 Georgios Kampas
Watch the video with the full interview of the former Chief of Staff:
Ο αρχηγός ΓΕΣ μέχρι το 2020 Γεώργιος Καμπάς
Δείτε το βίντεο με ολόκληρη της συνέντευξη του πρώην αρχηγού ΓΕΣ:
Georgios Kampas: “Greek ammunition, trucks are constantly leaving for Ukraine since last year, but the Parliament is not aware”
Georgios Kampas was Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff until 2020. Speaking to the Data Journalists, the retired lieutenant general said, among other things:
- ‘What NATO warehouses? Our ammunition. No ammunition is stored here in other countries. The ammunition is Greek, which is also used, as well as all if necessary by NATO as per Article 5 and so on.
- “I don’t understand why our people don’t tell us here what things they have given over there (to Ukraine). If not for us, I imagine the Parliament should at least be informed. As far as I know, it has not been informed. ”
- “These are things that leave Greece, its ammunition that goes to Ukraine. If they go there, then there is ammunition that is operationally necessary and other that is not. That’s for the staff to decide. If it is not operationally necessary, they may well, and with the Parliament informed, sell, rent or donate it.
- Operational necessities are criminal to give away because we are a country that does not have a neighborhood of angels around us. We have a lot of problems from the East, and we know them with Turkey. ” We should think twice before we decide to give even one bullet outside Greece for any reason.”
- “What I can judge is that because I have gone through these positions, what is the reason that persuaded them to take our own ammunition, usable and operationally necessary, and give it to Ukraine. Unless they replaced them with something else or something I can’t imagine what that is. In any case, there is nothing for me as I see it from afar that justifies this move. ”
- “I see that trucks and ammunition trucks are constantly leaving. And surely this ammunition, because not one or two but too many have gone, is beginning to deplete the ammunition stockpile in our country. ”
- “(If I were still chief of staff), I would demand that the House be informed. And those who see this interview know that I have always spoken and always expressed my opinion. I’d demand it. It is what I have often said that these Councils, in such cases, on such serious matters, make history. ”
- “It’s not a decision to wear this or not, to parade or not, etc. We are now talking about very serious issues that may or may not have serious repercussions for our country later on. Maybe after two, three, or five years. I would like to have at least the institutional coverage and support on such a serious issue and the level of geopolitical decisions taken by our country through the Greek army. ”
The video and the investigation show that the transfer of the military material was made by Tempuslink Ltd. based in Smyadovo, Bulgaria.
Who is the Bulgarian company that made the transfer?
Tempuslink ltd is a company based in Bulgaria that provides logistics services for “dangerous goods”, according to its official website.
It was founded in 2008 by Stoyan Hristov who still holds the position of CEO of the company. It deals with cargo operations, container transport, road–rail–maritime transport, temporary storage, port operations, armed security, transport and transit permits throughout Europe, and customs clearance.
In 2012 it started its activity in the industrial and military explosives market. In recent years, it has expanded its product range in the field of industrial explosives and blasting to mining operations as well as to military explosives and ammunition manufacturers.
If you look at its official website, it is referred to as “the main supplier of high explosives to most munitions manufacturers in the region.”
Tempuslink ltd appears to have one of the largest private storage facilities for explosives and ammunition in Southeast Europe. Its total capacity exceeds 2,400 tons of TNT equivalent to a covered area of over 4,000 square meters.
Its base is in the city of Smyadovo and it has permanent video surveillance and armed guards to guard the goods it carries.
The proximity to the port of Burgas (120 km) allows it to serve large volumes of defensive production on a precise schedule.
Projects within the EU
In the past, the company appears to have undertaken several projects within the EU. In 2011, for example, it took over 6,000 tons of ammunition from the Far East to the EU in over 500 containers.
Two more projects followed in 2012. One involved the transport of 500 tons of ammunition from Slovenia to the EU and another 800 tons of ammunition from Denmark. Other projects followed. In 2013 it undertook and carried out the transport of 300 tons of ammunition from Europe to North Africa, as well as the transport of various medium and large caliber ammunition, over 400 tons, within the EU.
In the same year, it was still carrying 1,000 tons of ammunition within the EU, but no further details were given. Two years later, in 2015, it undertook another project within the EU. The land transport of munitions of medium and large calibers above 1500 tons. In the same year it undertook the transfer of weapons and ammunition from Serbia to a country outside Europe.
The simple reference on the company’s website refers to a “government contractor outside Europe” without further details.
Another project it undertook to carry out was the provision of “logistical support” for the transport of more than 500 tons of air ammunition within the EU, without further details.
Data Journalists’ Question to the Company’s CEO
Data Journalists contacted the company and emailed the company’s CEO Stoyan Hristov with questions about the company’s activity in our country. Specifically, the questions concerned what kind of material it undertook to transport, whether it had informed the Greek authorities and whether it had received the necessary permits to transport war material within the Greek territory. However, so far we have received no answers to the questions.
Panayiotis Pliatsios: The Brigade did not clarify to us who owns the warehouse
Panayiotis Pliatsios: The Brigade did not clarify to us who owns the warehouse
Data Journalists contacted the journalist and owner of kozanimedia.gr Panagiotis Pliatsios, who among other things told us:
- “We were also surprised by the video we saw. Early in the morning, a good friend from the village of Lefkopigi sent us a video in which we were surprised to see a convoy passing through the village of Lefkopigi, about 8 km from the city of Kozani, which consisted of 20-25 trucks moving in escort of police patrols.
- “According to all information, it was carrying ammunition from a warehouse located between two villages, Lefkopigi and Rodiani. We usually call them NATO warehouses. The truth is that we have searched for it, a matter that we have not clarified whether it is NATO or the Greek Army. They don’t make that clear to us from the Brigade. ”
- “It had received the ammunition and was leaving the area of Kozani in an unknown direction. We have reason to believe that the possible destination was Ukraine. ”
- “We asked for official confirmation or not, because there was a police escort if there was ammunition in the trucks. Officially, the press office of the General Regional Police Directorate of Western Macedonia informed us by telephone that yes, it was a transfer of ammunition. We can’t tell you more, they told us, neither where they were going, nor what ammunition it was. ”
- “Discussing with ex-military personnel, with people who know faces and situations, with reliable sources, they told us that it was probably a transfer of 155mm shells for artillery in the specific warehouses in the region of the regional unit of Kozani. We have more than 10 such warehouses here. ”
- “The information I have from residents is that on November 29 at 6 in the morning, they passed through the village, and on November 30 other trucks passed, all with signs and inscriptions of Bulgaria and Poland. I didn’t see any Greek. From 20 to 25 trucks were in each convoy. ”
- “This is not at all common. It’s the first time it’s happened. After they left, they went to the highway. In 10 minutes they were in Egnatia. In my 23 years as a journalist, it has never happened before. And why foreign license plates? Will the Greek army hire trucks with Polish and Bulgarian plates to do what? To transport military equipment within Greece? Doesn’t the Greek army have its own trucks or military vehicles to transport ammunition?”
- “The local authorities of Kozani did not bother. No one knows anything. They found out about that from us. We had no reaction, not even from the Brigade. There was no denial either. ”
Aristides Lampadas (Kozani Peace Committee): Four villages were worried, and no information on the danger of the whole operation
We also contacted the Peace Committee of Kozani, which issued a statement on the transfer of ammunition, and a little earlier had held a demonstration in the central square of the city.
This anti-imperialist Committee is a member of the Greek Committee for International Recession and Peace, based in Themistokleous street, Athens. Among the useful links of the Greek Committee for International Recession and Peace in its main site are the Federation of Women of Greece, PAME, MAS, 902.gr, etc.
To the questions we sent in writing, as he requested, to the President of the Peace Committee of Kozani, Aristides Lampadas, he replied by sending us an e-mail.
Our questions were briefly
- A description of what happened during the period in question.
- What were the reactions of the residents of the area and if he knows for whose account they made the transports, what they had inside, and
- If in the wider region of Kozani, it is customary to pass vehicles, military or not, with ammunition through residential areas as well as if citizens are often informed by the local authorities about that.
Mr. Lampadas replied with the following text:
“It was Wednesday morning, November 30, that trucks loaded with ammunition were passing through residential areas towards the border (Ukraine), causing concern in the villages of Kozani Vatero, Lefkovrisi, Protochori, and Lefkopigi. They had arrived the previous days and spent the night in the city of Kozani (see relevant photos). The convoy had Bulgarian and Polish license plates and was accompanied by police patrol cars. Everything was done secretly without any, of course, information about the danger of the whole operation. “
Unfortunately, deliveries of ammunition by the Armed Forces to the reactionary Zelensky government continue. It proves every day that the involvement of our country in the dangerous plans of the Euro-Atlantic axis has no end and the policy of deeper involvement in the US-NATO plans, leads to proven greater adventures and new evils.
The Peace Committee of Kozani with a statement titled “No more! They are dangerous!” we distributed in the central square of Kozani, where we denounced the fact and called on the people to condemn the government and the other bourgeois parties that are responsible for turning our country into a vast US-NATO base. Stop the shipment of war supplies to Ukraine. No conscripts outside the borders. The soldiers are children of the people; they have no work outside the borders. We called and we call on the people to strengthen the struggle for the disengagement of our country from the imperialist unions of NATO and the EU with the same landlord in our country”.
The incomprehensible secrecy of the Greek government
The citizens of Greece learned about arms shipments to Ukraine thanks to the formality in the chatter of others. They first heard about shipments of Greek military hardware from foreign officials, such as the US Secretary of Defense or the Chancellor of Germany. The country’s parliament was never informed by the government of any decisions taken, nor did it consult the content of the missions, nor did it ratify them with the vote of its members.
Former Minister of National Defence and Honorary General Staff Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis calls for immediate answers on ammunition sent outside Greece, deeming the government’s handling unacceptable. “There was absolutely no procedure for a huge mistake, such as the decision to send arms and ammunition to Ukraine,” he said.
The fact that the Greek parliament has not been informed since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is all the more striking considering that Greece is among the countries that contribute the most weapons to Ukraine in proportion to the size of its economy.
The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Christos Christodoulou, who retired in 2020 and is therefore perfectly aware of the procedures that must be followed to remove even one bullet from an ammunition depot, explains that none of them has been observed. It expresses its great concern about the weapons systems and ammunition that have been withdrawn from the islands.
Ch. Christodoulou General Staff ret. – Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff until 2020: “I am worried because nothing we have given has been replaced”.
Greece is included in the Council on Foreign Relations’ informative table published on December 16 entitled ‘Bilateral aid as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) from the EU institutions and the top 20 donor countries, with data from the start of the war until November 20.
The table includes the aid given by each of the largest donor countries in the military (red), economic (yellow), and humanitarian (green) aid as a percentage of GDP. Greece appears to be only giving military aid, with the level proportional to GDP compared to that of the US in arms, and is greater than the corresponding share of Germany!
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank founded in 1921 and based in New York City. It is considered independent and non-partisan. It specializes in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Published by the international affairs journal Foreign Affairs.
Unlike Greece, the vast majority of other countries sending military aid to Ukraine regularly inform their parliaments. Some also receive parliamentary approval after a vote. For example:
Italy
On December 13, 2022, the Italian Senate approved the government’s decision to supply arms to Ukraine in the New Year. Following a debate on the government proposal, the Senate approved it by a vote of 143-29.
Earlier in December, Italy’s cabinet issued a decree allowing it to continue supplying Ukraine with weapons for the whole of 2023 without seeking formal approval from parliament for each new mission separately.
It should be noted that all five military aid packages to Ukraine under the previous Draghi government were approved in the past.
Germany
To send heavy weapons to Ukraine, Germany’s parliament voted on April 28, 2022. It passed by 586 votes to 100, with seven abstentions.
Germany submits its proposal to parliament each time regarding aid deliveries to Ukraine. For example, on September 29, 2002, the German Parliament rejected a request to increase arms supplies to Ukraine, with 179 Members voting in favor of the proposal, 476 against, and one abstention.
France
For the sake of transparency, every year the French Ministry of the Armed Forces submits to Parliament a report detailing France’s arms exports. The 2022 report states: “Despite their exceptional circumstances, arms exports to Ukraine do not in any way deviate from the rules.
They are examined through a strict inter-ministerial control process and are subject to export licenses issued by the General Secretariat of National Defence and Security, under the supervision of the Prime Minister. A balance sheet of these permits, orders, and transfers will appear in the next edition of the report. ”
Although French lawmakers are always aware of the support provided by France to Ukraine, there have been divisions in the French parliament over whether the government should seek the parliament’s agreement to send tanks.
The Ministry of Defense cited Article 35 of the French Constitution, claiming that it does not need to consult the House first since “the French armed forces do not intervene on Ukrainian territory (it is not a declaration of war from France to another country).”
Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s parliament voted on December 16 to approve the shipment of equipment and ammunition to Ukraine. The vote was 166 in favor and 48 against.
It was a 180-degree turn for the country, which in the past refused to send weapons to Ukraine. The policy change was decided again by a vote on November 3. 175 lawmakers then voted in favor of a six-point plan to provide military assistance to Ukraine, detailing the weapons that could be delivered to Kyiv. Another 49 voted against the proposal.
In May, the Bulgarian parliament voted against military aid (the country’s then-government coalition collapsed in June).
Holland
Holland decided to assist Ukraine in 2023 with the provision of weapons and financial assistance worth 2.5 billion Euros. The proposal was approved by the Dutch Cabinet.
Denmark
The government consults Parliament with the other parties on benefits in Ukraine. The last was on December 21, 2022, when a grant of 300 million kroner was decided. The funds come from the Ministry of Defense reserve and are donated to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).
Sweden
It decided after a vote in Parliament to send military aid to Ukraine consisting of anti-tank weapons, helmets, and armor. In the vote held on February 28, 2022, 280 Swedish MPs voted in favor, and 14 were against.
Poland
It has a key role in arms supplies from Western countries to Ukraine and acts as a logistical hub for transporting military equipment and channeling it to Ukrainian territory.
As stated in a recent multi-page public briefing of the United Kingdom House of Commons, dated December 12, 2022:
“The United Kingdom, the United States, and Poland have taken the lead in coordinating international military assistance to Ukraine.
“Poland also acts as a logistical hub for the transfer of military equipment from other allies to the western part of Ukraine that has not yet been occupied by Russian forces and is a key partner in the International Donor Coordination Centre.
The Centre was established in April 2022 in Stuttgart, Germany, and acts as a “conduit” through which ammunition, tanks, fighter jets, etc. are recorded and sent, as well as non-lethal aid (e.g. helmets) from the heart of Europe to Ukraine.
Finally, the US is holding a Senate vote on every aid package to Ukraine.
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