A Russian frigate fired two flares in the direction of a Danish military helicopter in international waters off the coast of Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft. The incident occurred as the Baltic Sea region remains on high alert due to a series of events, including gas pipeline outages, airspace violations, and drone sightings, since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Danish defense command stated that the military helicopter was conducting a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate when one of the flares, typically used as a maritime warning signal, passed close to the aircraft.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the incident as serious but not unexpected, characterizing it as part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive Russian actions aimed at intensifying hybrid warfare against Europe and testing NATO. "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. She added that Russia's aim is to "sow fear and discord," and the response would be to "stand closer together and strengthen the defence of Denmark and Europe."
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the event "unacceptable" and noted it could have endangered human lives. He stated that Denmark is working to ensure peaceful passage through its waters, but Russia is increasingly pushing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Rasmussen announced he had summoned Russia's ambassador to Denmark for a meeting.
The Danish straits are a crucial maritime route for commercial and military shipping in and out of the Baltic Sea, as well as a significant pathway for global oil shipments. Denmark's Defense Intelligence Service previously reported that Russian warships had repeatedly engaged in dangerous maneuvers, including sailing on collision courses with Danish vessels, targeting Danish helicopters and ships with tracking radars, and pointing weapons at them in the straits.
Russia has denied accusations of such incidents and has consistently refuted claims of conducting hybrid attacks in Europe.
In a separate event early Tuesday, NATO fighter jets were scrambled to shoot down a drone that breached Lithuanian airspace, entering from neighboring Belarus and heading westward. The drone was intercepted and destroyed near the village of Pratkunai, approximately 30 minutes after an emergency warning was issued to residents in Vilnius, Trakai, and Elektrėnai. This marks the first drone to be shot down within Lithuanian territory.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed gratitude to Allied personnel for their swift response, emphasizing the vital nature of such readiness in the region given Russia's intensifying aggression in Ukraine. "Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace," he stated.
Lithuania shares significant borders with Belarus, a close ally of Russia. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence confirmed that the nation's armed forces and Italian pilots participating in the NATO Air Defence Mission responded quickly and responsibly to the drone incursion.
Drone sightings have been reported in Lithuania on previous days, with one object believed to have entered from Belarus, traversed the country, and then entered Russian airspace.
These events follow closely after reports that former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson narrowly avoided a Russian drone that struck a train shortly after he had passed. Additionally, Poland reported "aviation operations" in its airspace late Monday due to the activity of Russian unmanned aerial vehicles striking Ukrainian territory. NATO jets have also scrambled multiple times this year to intercept stray Ukrainian drones entering Estonian and Latvian airspace, which Kyiv has attributed to Moscow's electronic warfare capabilities.