Denmark says Russian warship fired flares at military helicopter

What the report says

Denmark has accused a Russian warship of firing emergency flares at one of its military helicopters during a routine surveillance flight over the Baltic Sea on Monday. According to the Danish armed forces, the helicopter was monitoring a Russian frigate in international waters off Gedser when two flares were launched, with one passing close to the aircraft. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the conduct reckless and said it appeared intended to intimidate and divide, while the government summoned the Russian ambassador. Moscow had not commented at the time of the report.

The Danish foreign ministry described the incident as completely unacceptable, and Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Russia was pushing the limits of what it sees as acceptable behaviour. The episode comes amid heightened tension on Nato’s eastern flank during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has repeatedly raised security concerns across the region.

On the same day, Nato forces in Lithuania shot down a drone that entered the country’s airspace, and Poland said it carried out preventive air operations because of Russian drone activity linked to strikes on Ukraine. BBC World News reported that these incidents reflect broader worries about airspace violations and escalating military pressure near Nato borders. This matters because it highlights the risk of miscalculation at sea and in the air as regional security conditions remain fragile.