Russian warship fires flares at Danish helicopter

A Russian warship fired two flares toward a Danish military helicopter in the Baltic Sea, with one passing close to the aircraft, Denmark's armed forces said on Tuesday.

The confrontation comes amid heightened security concerns on NATO's eastern flank during Russia's war in Ukraine.

How has Denmark responded?

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the incident fitted a broader pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian behavior in Europe.

She accused Moscow of intensifying its "hybrid war against Europe" and testing and challenging NATO, and called on European countries to strengthen their defenses.

"Reckless action from Russia towards Danish military during a routine overflight yesterday. Russian actions are meant to intimidate and divide. They will not succeed. We will not waver," Frederiksen said in a statement on X.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned the incident as "completely unacceptable" and summoned Russia's ambassador, saying the action could have put lives at risk.

The foreign minister accused Moscow of "gradually shifting the boundary for what they consider acceptable behaviour," adding: "That is something we cannot accept."

What happened in the Baltic Sea?

Denmark's armed forces said one of its Fennec helicopters was carrying out a routine photographic reconnaissance mission when the incident occurred.

The helicopter was observing a Russian frigate in international waters off Gedser, a Danish port on the Baltic Sea.

The Russian vessel fired two flares towards the helicopter, according to the Danish military.

"One of the flares passed at close range to the helicopter," it said. No one on board was injured.

The incident came against a backdrop of growing tensions along NATO's eastern flank. Poland has repeatedly scrambled fighter jets during Russian attacks on neighboring Ukraine and reported incursions by Russian drones into its airspace.

NATO members in the region have stepped up air patrols and other defenses as Moscow's war in Ukraine has increasingly raised fears of spillover and direct confrontations between Russian and alliance forces.

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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