Russian Frigate Fires Flares at Danish Military Helicopter in International Waters

A Russian frigate fired flares at a Danish Fennec military helicopter near the island of Gedser on Denmark’s southern coast on Monday, Sept. 14, according to a report from the Danish Armed Forces Command. A Danish military spokesman said, “The Russian frigate fired two flares at the helicopter. One of the flares fired passed within a short distance of the helicopter.”JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Commenting on the incident, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking on Tuesday morning described this as yet another example of a pattern of Kremlin-inspired behavior, adding: “An increasingly aggressive and assertive Russia has intensified the hybrid war against Europe that tests and challenges NATO. Russia wants to intimidate and sow discord. Our response is to stand closer together and strengthen the defense of Denmark and Europe.” Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark’s foreign minister, described the Russian vessel’s actions as being “completely unacceptable,” adding that Russia’s ambassador to Copenhagen “has been summoned for a conversation about the incident.” Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus told the Ritzau news agency that the attack was a sign that the limits of Russia’s willingness to take risks had shifted and described the vessel’s actions as “very unprofessional seamanship, because there are many ways to make contact if one wishes to do so.” Other Topics of Interest Trump Claims Ukraine, Russia Agreed to Halt Energy Infrastructure Strikes Zelensky issued a statement an hour later, saying Ukraine would only reciprocate if Kyiv’s allies could guarantee a halt to Russian strikes. Moscow has been accused of stepping up a “hybrid warfare” campaign of intimidation throughout Europe in an attempt to disrupt and weaken support to Ukraine as it continues to resist President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion. While to date NATO and its European members have held back from a military response to what many see as Russia’s continued provocations that may be ending. Earlier on Tuesday morning, an Italian fighter aircraft, assigned to NATO, was said to have shot down a drone that had entered Lithuanian airspace via Belarus. This followed a call by the Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, for NATO to consider a strategy that would allow Russian jet-powered drones to be intercepted over Ukrainian airspace before they enter NATO states’ territory. Denmark has already taken steps to prepare for potential aggression from Russia and, following inflammatory comments by US President Donald Trump. In August, Copenhagen expanded compulsory military conscription from four to 11 months with both men and women over the age of 18 facing the same obligation. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.