Denmark summons Russian ambassador after frigate fires flares at Danish helicopter

September 15, 2026 at 01:21 PM2 min

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A Russian frigate fired two flares at a Royal Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter in international waters off Gedser on September 14, 2026. Denmark summoned the Russian ambassador on September 15, 2026, and Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus called the maneuver very unprofessional seamanship.

Key Facts

The Danish Defence Command said the frigate fired two flares at the helicopter on September 14, 2026, in international waters off Gedser.
Denmark summoned the Russian ambassador on September 15, 2026, over the incident.
Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the crew was unhurt and the helicopter was undamaged.
Bruus told TV 2 that this was the first incident of its kind involving Denmark.
In November 2024, a helicopter from the German frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen was met with red flares from a Russian vessel during a Baltic escort mission.

The Flare Incident

A Russian frigate fired two flares at a Royal Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter in international waters off Gedser on September 14, 2026. The helicopter was carrying out routine photographic coverage of the frigate when the flares were fired, according to the Danish Defence Command. One of the two flares passed at close range to the aircraft. The Defence Command did not name the frigate, identify the helicopter’s unit, or give a position for the encounter.

Danish Response

The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on September 15, 2026, that the Russian ambassador had been summoned over the incident. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the episode showed that Russia’s tolerance for risk had shifted and described the maneuver as very unprofessional seamanship. Bruus said the crew was unhurt and the helicopter was undamaged. He told broadcaster TV 2 that, to his knowledge, this was the first incident of its kind involving Denmark. Bruus said Denmark took the incident seriously but was not at that point seeking consultations with allies under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Baltic Precedents

In late November 2024, a helicopter operating from the German frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen was met with red flares from a Russian vessel during a Baltic escort mission. Russian reconnaissance aircraft overflew the German frigate Hamburg twice in September 2025, at altitudes German sources put below 100 meters. NATO has increased its vigilance regarding Russian operations in the Baltic Sea, especially suspected “ghost ships” used to evade sanctions on Russian oil exports. These vessels, frequently operating without tracking devices and under the flags of other nations, are occasionally escorted by Russian military ships.