Moscow Warns Copenhagen Over Baltic Sea Flare Incident Involving Military Helicopter

Moscow has issued a warning to Denmark, urging the country to avoid reckless behavior following an incident in which a Russian frigate fired two flares that narrowly missed a Danish military helicopter.

Vladimir Barbin, Moscow’s ambassador in Copenhagen, stated on Tuesday that dangerous maneuvers by the Danish aircraft caused the Baltic Sea confrontation. Speaking to the state news agency RIA Novosti, the diplomat confirmed that he delivered a formal note demanding measures to prevent future occurrences. He labeled the helicopter’s actions provocative and rejected descriptions of them as routine, warning of the potential consequences of such recklessness.

According to the Danish defence command, the Fennec helicopter was conducting a routine mission to photograph the frigate while it sailed through international waters off Denmark. Flares are commonly utilized by ships as warning signals.

Jeppe Bruus, Denmark’s Defence Minister, informed TV 2 News that one flare passed within meters of the aircraft, condemning the action as deeply unprofessional seamanship. Asked whether Denmark would pursue Article 5 consultations—invoking the NATO clause where an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all—Bruus replied that the situation is treated seriously, though they are not currently at that stage.

Barbin noted that he had previously filed complaints regarding dangerous fly-bys and low hovering by a Danish helicopter over the Russian warship Vice-Admiral Kulakov. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment due to a lack of details.

The Danish Straits serve as the Baltic’s primary shipping gateway and a vital oil route, including transit for Russian oil tankers, making it the location for most incidents between Denmark and Russia.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen characterized the event as serious yet unsurprising, viewing it as part of a broader pattern of escalating Russian hybrid warfare against Europe and testing of NATO. Emphasizing that Russia aims to sow fear and discord, Frederiksen called for enhanced unity and stronger defenses across Denmark and Europe. Russia denies involvement in hybrid attacks within Europe.

Amid growing risks of the war in Ukraine escalating to involve European NATO members, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry cautioned Western politicians and diplomats to soberly assess travel risks to Ukraine. This followed a Russian drone strike on a rail line shortly after a train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt had passed. The ministry stated that transport infrastructure and rail hubs serving Ukraine’s military are legitimate targets, reiterating a warning issued in May for foreign diplomats to depart Kyiv.