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A Russian warship has fired two emergency flares at a helicopter in the Baltic Sea, with the Russian ambassador summoned over the incident, Danish officials reported.
“One of the air force’s Fennec helicopters was today fired at with flares during a routine photographic operation of a Russian frigate, which was located in international waters off Gedser,” Danish armed forces said in a statement.
The frigate had fired “two flares towards the helicopter. One of the flares passed at close range to the helicopter.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen condemned the incident as “reckless”.
“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 said “Russia is gradually shifting the boundary for what they consider acceptable behaviour,” he warned.
“That is something we cannot accept,” he said.
“Russia’s ambassador has therefore been summoned for a discussion about the incident.”
The news coincides with Lithuania’s foreign minister confirming an allied fighter jet destroyed a drone that crossed into the country’s airspace from Belarus on Tuesday.