Danish PM slams 'reckless action' of Russian frigate firing flares

A Russian warship has fired two emergency flares at a Danish helicopter in the Baltic Sea, with the Russian ambassador summoned over the incident, Denmark officials said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday, the same day that NATO jets shot down a drone over Lithuania, the latest security incident on the alliance's eastern flank during Russia's war with Ukraine.

"One of the air force's Fennec helicopters was today fired at with flares during a routine photographic operation of a Russian frigate, which was located in international waters off Gedser," the armed forces said in a statement late Monday.

The frigate had fired "two flares towards the helicopter. One of the flares passed at close range to the helicopter," it added.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen slammed the incident as "reckless action from Russia".

"Russian actions are meant to intimidate and divide. They will not succeed. We will not waver," Frederiksen said in a statement on X.

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen meanwhile said the actions were "completely unacceptable and could have put human lives at risk".

"I have therefore summoned the Russian ambassador for a discussion about the incident," he said in a statement sent to AFP.

"Russia is gradually shifting the boundary for what they consider acceptable behaviour," he warned.

"That is something we cannot accept," he said.

Danish media reported that Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus had summoned representatives of the parties in parliament for a briefing on the incident at the defence ministry.

Tensions over the Baltic Sea have risen sharply since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.