Russian Warship Fired Flares at Danish Helicopter

Denmark has accused a Russian warship of firing two emergency flares at a Danish military helicopter while it was tracking the vessel in the Baltic Sea.

The Danish government said the incident took place on Monday during what it described as a routine monitoring operation and announced that it had summoned Russia’s ambassador in response.

Danish Details Of The Helicopter Incident

Denmark’s armed forces said one of its Fennec helicopters was “today fired at with flares” during a routine photographic operation of a Russian frigate located in international waters off Gedser, near Denmark’s southern coast.

The armed forces said that of the two flares fired, one passed close to the helicopter.

The Danish foreign ministry described the incident as “completely unacceptable”, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Russia was “gradually shifting the boundary for what they consider acceptable behaviour”, adding that Denmark would not accept it.

Russia Denies And Points To “Dangerous Manoeuvres”

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the action “reckless” and said it was intended to “intimidate and divide”.

Russia said it would “thoroughly investigate” the incident, but accused Danish helicopters of making “dangerous manoeuvres” near Russian warships. Russia’s ambassador, Vladimir Barbin, also said Moscow had previously complained about a similar event last year, and that the latest case showed “communication problems” on the Danish side rather than with the Russian navy’s vessels.

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a social media post that the incident, along with other events on the alliance’s eastern flank, formed part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression and provocation.

Denmark’s Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told Reuters that the frigate’s crew did not attempt to contact the helicopters.

Drone Downed Over Lithuania

The flare incident occurred on the same day as Nato forces shot down a drone over Lithuania, the latest in a series of security alerts affecting the eastern edge of the alliance where tensions have remained high since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lithuanian authorities said the drone likely entered southern Lithuania near Kaunas shortly after midnight on Tuesday, after crossing from neighbouring Belarus. The Lithuanian national crisis management centre said the drone’s origin had yet to be determined, while President Gitanas Nausėda pointed to increased Russian aggression in recent months.

Nausėda wrote on X that with Russia intensifying aggression against Ukraine, such readiness was vital for the region, and said Lithuania would defend its airspace together with Nato allies.

Poland Reports Further Aviation Operations

Poland also reported “aviation operations” in its airspace on Monday night due to activity involving Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles conducting strikes on Ukrainian territory.

Poland said the overnight operations were of a “preventive nature” and aimed at securing airspace and protecting it, especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions. Nato jets have been scrambled several times this year to shoot down drones that have crossed into Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia.

Ukraine has blamed stray drones on Russian electronic warfare, describing it as technology intended to change the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.

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16 September 2026