Russian warship fires flares at Danish military helicopter, PM Mette Frederiksen calls incident part of Moscow’s hybrid warfare campaign

On September 15, a Russian frigate targeted a Danish military helicopter with flares while the aircraft conducted a routine photographic survey of the ship in international waters near the Danish port town of Gedser. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen denounced the incident as part of a broader pattern of behavior observed throughout Europe, accusing Moscow of escalating its campaign of hybrid warfare.

She emphasized that Russia is becoming increasingly aggressive and assertive, seeking to intimidate and sow division within NATO and European nations. In response to the Danish military action, the Russian Ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, was summoned to Copenhagen's Foreign Ministry.

The Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, deemed the incident unacceptable, and the Russian Ambassador to Denmark was summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen. German newspaper Die Zeit drew parallels between the Danish helicopter incident and a failed drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport on August 5, where a drone with a detonator was discovered near a Ukrainian transport plane.

Germany's government has formally accused Russia of engaging in a hybrid attack following the Leipzig airport incident, and in retaliation, they plan to close the Russian House in Berlin and the Russian consulate general in Bonn.

Russia has reportedly withdrawn its consent for the German consulate general in St. Petersburg to remain operational and has shut down Germany's Goethe Institut cultural centers across the country. According to German investigations, one of the individuals implicated in the failed Leipzig airport sabotage was a Russian citizen named Oleg L., who allegedly served in Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.

Denmark claims that Russian intelligence operatives are recruiting "ordinary Danes" on social media and gaming platforms to participate in acts of sabotage. To counter Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," Denmark is tightening its control over passing oil tankers. Furthermore, Germany is developing a "Cyberdome" and a mobile anti-drone unit following the Leipzig airport sabotage attempt.

Germany has also accused Russia of involvement in the failed attack and is implementing additional measures, such as closing the Russian House in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn. The European Union is preparing new visa restrictions for Russians in response to the attempted drone attack on Leipzig airport.