Russia summons Denmark's ambassador after Russian corvette fires flares at Danish helicopter

Russia's Foreign Ministry has summoned Denmark's ambassador to protest what it called "provocations" by a Danish Air Force helicopter, which was fired upon with signal flares from the Russian corvette Soobrazitelny on 14 September.

Source: European Pravda, citing Russia's Foreign Ministry

Details: Rolf Holmboe, Ambassador Designate of Denmark to the Russian Federation, was handed a strong protest "over the unprofessional and provocative actions" of a Danish Air Force Fennec helicopter towards the Baltic Fleet corvette Soobrazitelny.

According to the ministry, the helicopter "approached dangerously close" to the Russian vessel and hovered at an altitude of less than 50 metres above it in international waters in the south-western part of the Baltic Sea on 14 September. The ministry said this had "posed a real threat to navigational safety, could create a risk of direct or indirect collision, and could interfere with the operation of the ship's equipment".

The ministry claimed that all warnings to the Danish helicopter crew had been ignored. The Russian corvette then fired two signal flares in its direction, supposedly away from the helicopter, in an attempt to attract its attention. The helicopter subsequently, according to the Russian side, stopped its "provocative actions" and left the area where the vessel was operating.

Russia's Foreign Ministry told the diplomat that it considered Denmark's actions a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"It was stressed that, amid heightened tensions in the Baltic region directly linked to growing anti-Russian military activity by NATO, any repetition of such reckless actions could lead to escalation and create the risk of a serious incident," the ministry added.

Background:

• Denmark summoned the Russian ambassador after a Russian frigate fired two flares towards a Danish helicopter on 14 September.
• Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, commenting on the incident, said that Russia had stepped up its hybrid warfare against Europe.

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Originally reported by Ukrainska Pravda by Olha Kovalchuk,Alona Mazurenko. Read the full story at the source.