Illustrative image. (Wikimedia)
A Russian Baltic Fleet corvette fired two red signal flares toward a Danish military helicopter operating near the Russian vessel in international waters, triggering a diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Copenhagen.
The incident occurred on September 14 in the southwestern Baltic Sea, near Gedser, Denmark, according to statements from both sides.
Russia said the Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter was approaching the warship and had failed to respond to calls on an international communications channel. According to the defense ministry, the corvette’s commander ordered the flares launched as a precaution, after which the helicopter left the area.
Denmark gave a different account. The Danish armed forces said the helicopter was conducting a routine photographic mission involving the Russian vessel, which was in international waters. Two flares were fired toward the aircraft, with one passing at close range. No injuries or damage were reported.
The Russian vessel was the Soobrazitelny, a Project 20380 corvette of the Baltic Fleet. Although several initial reports referred to it as a frigate, Danish and German reporting later identified the ship as a corvette.
The incident quickly moved into the diplomatic sphere. Denmark summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin on September 15 after the flare launch. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the action unacceptable, while Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described it as reckless. NATO also criticized the incident on September 16, calling the Russian action irresponsible.
Moscow rejected Copenhagen’s characterization. Barbin accused Danish military helicopters of repeatedly conducting dangerous maneuvers around Russian warships operating outside Danish territorial waters and said the latest incident raised concerns about the consequences of such behavior.
The Russian Defense Ministry on September 16 said Defense Minister Andrei Belousov awarded the Soobrazitelny’s commander a medal for what it described as skillful and decisive actions in preventing a provocation.
The confrontation occurred against a backdrop of heightened military activity in the Baltic Sea, where Russian naval movements and NATO surveillance operations regularly bring the forces of Russia and alliance members into close proximity.
Denmark controls access to the Baltic through its straits, making the waters around its southern coast strategically important for monitoring Russian naval traffic.
The flare incident did not result in a direct exchange of fire or damage, but it illustrates how routine military surveillance in the increasingly tense Baltic environment can produce dangerous encounters between Russian and NATO forces.
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dik less european clown politicians are totally controlled by incompetent a$$holes who keep pushing their war nonsense. never seen such effeminate “men” in all my life. that female afd party member in germany has bigger testicles than all of them put together.
globalists are always testing the edges for hollywood media to drum up more insane war support. carney is trying to get canada to foot more of the war cost