Russian Frigate Fires Flares Near Danish Helicopter
17 sourcesUpdated Sep 15, 2026
A Russian frigate fired two flares toward a Danish Fennec military helicopter on Monday evening in international waters south of Denmark near Gedser. One flare passed close to the aircraft while the helicopter conducted a routine photography mission of the frigate. Denmark's defense command issued a statement late Monday. No injuries were reported. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the act 'unacceptable' and said it could have risked lives. Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus said he views the incident with great seriousness and told TV2 that Russia's ambassador to Denmark will be summoned to a meeting. The Russian embassy had not yet responded, per devdiscourse.com. What is contested and who says what: no dispute found among outlets on the core facts of the flares, the near pass, or the planned summons. Politiken's international commentator Michael Jarlner wrote a news analysis calling it a signal of escalating hybrid war and noted a September 2 report that Danish authorities uncovered Russian plans for sabotage operations against companies in Denmark. Next steps center on the ambassador meeting; the Russian side had not commented in the record.
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“Danish PM slams Russia for firing at army helicopter”Right
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Summoning the ambassador is the right move after this near miss near Gedser, but more needs to be done to prevent repeats.
Firing flares that close to a Danish helicopter during a photo mission risks lives and shows poor judgment by the Russian crew.
