A previously undisclosed act of heroism during the 2020 Evros border crisis has come to light five years later, shedding new light on the frontline struggle to protect Greece’s sovereignty.
At the peak of the hybrid threat in March 2020, when thousands of migrants attempted to storm the Greek-Turkish border with the backing of the Turkish government, Staff Sergeant Lokaridis, head of the Hellenic Army’s Construction Platoon, played a critical role in preventing a breach of the border fence.
According to revelations in a new Prime Time documentary by journalist Yiannis Souliotis, aired on SKAI, Turkish forces employed an armored vehicle in an attempt to dismantle the fence. Retired General Angelos Ilaridis, who was then Commander of the 4th Army Corps, detailed the unprecedented situation:
“The tear gas fired from the Turkish side had no real tactical purpose or impact. At one point, they brought a heavily armored vehicle, attached straps to the fence, and tried to tear it down,” he said. “That’s when Staff Sergeant Lokaridis, the head of the Construction Platoon, climbed up—while being hit with sticks and stones—and with personal sacrifice, cut those straps. That’s how the fence was saved. Otherwise, they would have brought it down.”
Despite the chaos and danger, Lokaridis’s actions remained unpublicized—until now. His bravery is now being acknowledged as one of the defining moments in Greece’s successful effort to repel the 2020 incursion.
Watch the clip in the video below, from SKAI’s official YouTube channel: