Russia and Denmark Exchange Protests Over Baltic Sea Encounter
Russia and Denmark summoned each other's ambassadors following a mid-September incident where a Russian naval vessel fired flares at a Danish military helicopter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Defense of Denmark have exchanged diplomatic protests following a mid-September encounter between a Danish military helicopter and a Russian naval vessel in the southwestern Baltic Sea.
Russia summoned the Danish ambassador to Moscow to protest the actions of a Danish helicopter, which it characterized as unprofessional and provocative. Russian officials claim the aircraft ignored altitude warnings and threatened the navigational safety of the Soobrazitelny corvette, prompting the crew to fire two signal flares away from the aircraft to draw its attention.
Denmark provided a conflicting account, stating that on September 14, a Fennec helicopter conducting routine photographic surveillance of a Russian frigate off Gedser was fired at with flares. Danish officials report that one flare passed within a short distance of the aircraft. In response, Denmark summoned the Russian ambassador.
While Russia describes the maneuvers as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Denmark maintains the aircraft was operating in international waters. The incident occurs amid broader tensions involving allegations of Russian sabotage and airspace violations in the Baltic region.
