“The Armed Forces today honor their patron General General and also honor the dead from the intrepid torpedoing of the airship “Elli” in the port of Tinos, on August 15, 1940. But our Armed Forces do not stay only in the memory of yesterday, in honor to our dead. They reform. Every day our country becomes stronger, stronger, to protect its interests within the framework of International Law and the International Law of the Sea. And here, in the middle of the Aegean where we are, it is good to remember this”, the Minister of National Defense pointed out, among other things, in his statement Nikos Dendiaswho represented the prime minister at the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and at the ceremonies for the 84th anniversary of the torpedoing of the “Ellis”, in Tinos.

“Within the framework of the “Agenda 2030”, he continued, “the Armed Forces, the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, are creating a new reality. We are marching for the strongest Armed Forces our country has ever had in its long history. “Already, in a few days, in the middle of September, on September 19, the second frigate “Belharra”, the most modern ship of its type on the planet together with our first frigate, will fall into the sea”, he informed further.

At the same time, he commented that “Orthodoxy today honors the leading feast of the Mother of God, the Dormition of the Virgin. For us Orthodox, it is “Easter of the Summer”. It touches the soul of every Greek woman, every Greek.”

The Minister of National Defense was accompanied by the head of the General Defense Forces, General Dimitrios Houpis, and the head of the General Defense Forces, Vice-Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras.

Mr. Dendias attended the memorial service for the fallen of the airship “Elli”, on August 15, 1940, which was held on the missile boat “Mykonios” – in the sea area off the port of Tinos where the airship was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Delfino , on the day of the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin.

This was followed by the laying of wreaths on his “wet” grave by the Minister of National Defense and the head of GETHA.

“The sacrifice of the fallen was not wasted. Their memory is forever”, Mr. Dendias wrote on his personal account on “X”.

The Minister of National Defense also attended the high-priestly liturgy of the pre-eminent Metropolitan of Syros, Tinos, Andros, Keas and Milos Dorotheos II.

After the end of the service, Mr. Dorotheos handed over the miraculous icon to Mr. Dendias to place it on a mobile base for its circulation, on Megalocharis Avenue.

Throughout the movement to Pantanassi Square, the gathered believers passed under the mobile base where the icon of the Virgin Mary was placed and held PN and LS officials, in order to receive her grace and help.

In his message, Mr. Dorotheos II pointed out the need for national unity and national unity as this is how Greeks succeed in all levels of life. He wished courage and strength to those affected by the recent fire in Attica, urged the State to help them and the Church to support them, while thanking all those who contributed to the fight against the fire.

On the occasion of the celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the frigate “Aegeus”, the tanker “Chios” and vessels of the Coast Guard sailed to the island of Megalohari, while Air Force aircraft flew over the venue of the event, in Pantanassis Square. The celebration was accompanied by hymns and the band of the Navy as well as the philharmonic of the Panhellenic Holy Foundation of Evangelistria of Tinos

The events were also attended by Cyclades MP Aikaterini Monogyou, Tonia Antoniou as a representative of PASOK-KINAL, the head of the Coast Guard-Hellenic Coast Guard Vice-Admiral Georgios Alexandrakis, the Cyclades Vice-Governor of the South Aegean Region Georgios Leontaritis, the prefect of Tinos Anastasia Deligianni-Asprous, the mayor of Tinos Panagiotis Krontiras, the mayor of Athens Haris Doukas, representatives of the other Security Forces, the local government and local bodies, as well as a large number of people.