Vasileios Gryparis appointed Commander of EU’s Red Sea mission

Commodore Vasileios Gryparis has been appointed EU Operation Commander of the European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, according to the Official Journal of the European Union issued on Monday.

The EU mission - dubbed Aspides, from the Greek for "shield" - which will be launched in mid-February, aims to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The Operation Headquarters of the mission shall be located in Larissa, central Greece, the Journal added.