Denmark accuses Russian frigate of firing flares near military helicopter

Denmark has accused a Russian frigate of firing two flares at a Danish Fennec military helicopter during a routine photographic operation in international waters off Gedser in the Baltic Sea.

The Danish armed forces said one flare passed close to the helicopter. The government described the incident as unacceptable and summoned Russia’s ambassador.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the action reckless and said it was intended to intimidate and divide. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Russia was shifting the boundary of acceptable behaviour. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the frigate’s crew did not attempt to contact the helicopter.

Russia said it would thoroughly investigate the circumstances. Its ambassador, Vladimir Barbin, accused Danish helicopters of dangerous manoeuvres near Russian warships and said similar incidents had occurred previously, arguing that communication problems lay with Denmark.

The competing accounts have not been independently resolved, and the circumstances and intent behind the flare deployment remain unclear. The incident occurred amid heightened security concerns on Nato’s eastern flank during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Separately, Nato fighter pilots shot down a drone that entered Lithuania’s airspace. Lithuanian authorities said its origins had not been determined, while Poland reported precautionary aviation operations linked to Russian drone activity over Ukraine. BBC World reported the incidents as part of the broader regional security concerns.