A Russian frigate fired flares at a Danish military helicopter over the Baltic Sea, prompting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to condemn what she called “reckless action from Russia”.
Denmark’s armed forces said late last night that one of the air force’s Fennec helicopters came under fire from flares while carrying out a routine photographic mission near a Russian frigate in international waters off Gedser, Denmark’s southernmost town.
- Advertisement -
The ship launched “two flares towards the helicopter”, the military said. One passed close to the aircraft.
Frederiksen described the incident as “reckless action from Russia”, accusing Moscow of seeking to intimidate Denmark and divide its allies.
PM Mette Frederiksen: “Reckless action from Russia towards Danish military during a routine overflight yesterday. Russian actions are meant to intimidate and divide. They will not succeed. We will not waver.”
— Statsministeriet (@Statsmin) September 15, 2026
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the episode was “completely unacceptable” and had potentially placed lives at risk.
“I have therefore summoned the Russian ambassador for a discussion about the incident,” he said in a statement.
He warned that Russia was “gradually shifting the boundary for what they consider acceptable behaviour”.
“That is something we cannot accept,” he added.
Russia has not commented on the incident.
Danish media reported that Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus had called representatives of parliamentary parties to the defence ministry for a briefing.
The latest confrontation comes as tensions in and around the Baltic Sea continue to intensify following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Denmark, a NATO member and one of Ukraine’s strongest supporters, has repeatedly accused Russia of waging hybrid operations against its territory.
In autumn 2025, unidentified drones were reported over several Danish airports and the Skrydstrup air base, where Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly F-16 fighter jets.
The drone flights began only days after Denmark announced plans to acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, citing the threat posed by Russia.
Although investigators were unable to establish who operated the drones, Frederiksen accused Russia at the time.
Danish intelligence agency PET has warned that Russia was “actively preparing acts of sabotage targeting the defence industry in Denmark”.
The agency said Russian operatives were recruiting “ordinary Danes” through social media to take photographs that could assist in planning sabotage.
Denmark has also accused hacker groups linked to the Russian state of launching cyber-attacks against the country.
The European Union condemned Russia’s “reckless” use of flares against a Danish frigate.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen described the episode as “reckless and dangerous Russian behaviour”.
“These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression and provocation against Europe, testing our readiness and our resolve,” Ms von der Leyen said on X.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Separately, an Italian NATO fighter jet shot down a drone over Lithuania shortly after midnight, according to the Lithuanian national crisis management centre.
The drone likely entered Lithuania from Belarus and was brought down near the village of Pratkunai in the country’s south, close to Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, a spokesperson for the centre said.
The drone’s origin had not yet been established, the spokesperson added.
