Denmark accused Russia of firing two flares from a Russian ship towards one of its military helicopters in the Baltic Sea. This incident took place during a "routine" surveillance operation on Monday, prompting the Danish government to summon the Russian ambassador.
Details of the Incident in the Baltic Sea
The Danish Armed Forces stated in a statement: "One of the Danish Air Force helicopters was targeted by flare fire while conducting a photographic operation from a Russian ship, which was located in international waters near Gedser." The statement also mentioned that one of the flares flew close to the helicopter.
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Reactions from Danish Officials
Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, described Russia's actions as "reckless" and stated that this act was intended to "intimidate and divide." Additionally, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, accused Russia of gradually changing the boundaries of acceptable behavior and emphasized: "This is something we cannot accept."
This incident occurred on the same day that NATO forces targeted a drone in the skies over Lithuania. Lithuanian officials reported that this drone likely entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus. Gitanas Nausėda, the President of Lithuania, pointed to the increasing aggression from Russia in recent months and stressed that "preparedness against these threats is vital for our region."
Consequences and Regional Tensions
These incidents highlight the rising tensions in the Baltic region, which have been severely destabilized due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Polish officials also announced that due to the activities of Russian drones in Ukrainian territory, they have conducted "air operations" in their own skies. This operation was carried out to "secure the skies and protect adjacent areas."
NATO forces have been on standby several times this year to fire at Ukrainian drones that have entered Baltic countries, including Estonia and Latvia. Ukraine has accused Russia of using electronic warfare technologies that alter the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.
