The Danish Defense Command reported the incident occurred on 14/9 in international waters of the Baltic Sea, off the town of Gedser. A Fennec military helicopter was on a "routine mission" photographing a Russian frigate when the event took place. The identity of the Russian naval vessel was not disclosed.

"The warship fired two flares towards the Danish helicopter, with one flying very close to the aircraft", the Danish Defense Command stated.

Flares are not weapons but can generate temperatures reaching thousands of degrees Celsius when burning. Ships and aircraft are often equipped with flares for signaling or as an emergency light source.

A Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter in the UK in 2018. *Photo: Airliners*

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the incident "unacceptable", stating it could endanger human lives. "Denmark is working to ensure all vessels can pass through our waters peacefully, but Russia is gradually shifting the boundaries of what it considers acceptable behavior", he said, adding that the Russian ambassador to Denmark had been summoned.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the incident as "very serious but not surprising."

"This is part of a trend we are seeing across Europe. Russia is becoming increasingly aggressive, escalating hybrid warfare against Europe, and probing and challenging NATO. Russia wants to threaten and create division", she stated.

"Hybrid warfare" is a term referring to a type of warfare combining various methods, from political and military actions to cyberattacks.

Russian officials have not yet commented.

Gedser's location. *Graphic: DR*

The Fennec is a light multi-role military helicopter manufactured by Airbus, introduced in 1990. Armed versions, the AS550 and AS555, can be equipped with machine guns, rockets, torpedoes, and other weapons.

Denmark, one of the leading financial and military supporters of Ukraine, has repeatedly warned of increasing hybrid attacks, criticizing Russia as the "greatest security threat" to Europe. Earlier this month, Danish security agencies announced they had uncovered evidence of Russian plans to conduct sabotage operations against the country's defense companies.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters, Bloomberg, AFP)