A Russian frigate has fired flares at a Danish military helicopter near the port city of Gedser on the Baltic Sea. This was reported by the TV2 channel, citing the Danish Ministry of Defense, News.bg reports.
A Fennec helicopter of the Danish Air Force was involved in the incident. According to the media, the incident occurred during a planned filming of the Russian frigate, which was in international waters.
According to the Danish military department, the Russian frigate fired two flares at the helicopter. One of them passed within a dangerous distance of the aircraft.
The media notes that flares are a type of pyrotechnic device used at sea to send signals that attract attention.
Denmark summons Russian ambassador
Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Brus has already reacted to the incident, stating that Denmark has summoned the Russian ambassador for a meeting.
“This is an incident that Denmark is taking very seriously. This is the first time we have encountered such a case, and it shows that the Russians are becoming more willing to take risks. That is why we are summoning the Russian ambassador,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Kenneth Oelenschleger Bull, a military analyst at the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, said the event did not constitute an attack under international law because no weapons were used.
“However, this is certainly a hostile move aimed at forcing the helicopter to keep its distance, even though both the frigate and the helicopter had the right to be in the area. This incident is a serious development... It was routine for the Danish military to film Russian ships passing through Danish waters. Before, this happened quite peacefully. Therefore, this is an escalation,” the military analyst noted.