On Sept. 15, a Russian frigate fired flares at a Danish military Fennec helicopter off Denmark’s southern coast near the port town of Gedser, according to a statement released by the Danish Armed Forces. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the incident “is part of the pattern we are seeing througout Europe” and accused Moscow of intensifying its campaign of hybrid warfare.
The Danish Armed Forces said the Russian vessel fired two flares toward one of its helicopters, which was carrying out a routine photographic survey of the frigate in international waters off Gedser.
“One of the flares fired passed within a short distance of the helicopter,” read the statemenent, which was followed by an explanatory note saying “Flares are pyrotechnic devices. They are normally used as a warning signal at sea.”
Frederiksen said the Russian ship’s actions “is part of the pattern we are seeing across Europe.”
“Russia is behaving increasingly aggressively and assertively and has intensified its hybrid war against Europe,” she said. “Russia is testing NATO and challenging it. Russia wants to intimidate us and sow division. Our response is to stand even more closely together and strengthen the defense of Denmark and Europe.”
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the incident “unacceptable” and said Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen.
Reporting on the incident, German newspaper Die Zeit placed the Danish helicopter incident in the context of a failed attack that took place on Aug. 5 at Leipzig/Halle airport, where a drone with a detonator was found near a Ukrainian transport plane.
The German government has formally accused Russia of carrying out a hybrid attack following the incident in Leipzig, with Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announcing at a recent news conference that Germany would respond by closing the Russian House in Berlin and Russia’s consulate general in Bonn. Russia, in turn, withdrew its consent for the German consulate general in St. Petersburg to continue operating and shut down Germany’s Goethe Institut cultural centers nationwide.
According to German investigators, one of the people involved in the failed Leipzig airport sabotage was a Russian citizen identified as Oleg L., who allegedly worked for Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency.
