Russian flares near Danish helicopter spark dispute

Russian flares fired near a Danish military helicopter have sparked a diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Copenhagen, with both sides trading accusations over the incident in the Baltic Sea.
A Russian frigate fired two flares that narrowly missed a Danish Fennec helicopter while it was carrying out a routine mission to photograph the Russian warship sailing in international waters off Denmark, according to Danish defence authorities.
Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said on Tuesday that he had delivered a formal diplomatic note to the Danish authorities, calling for measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Barbin accused the Danish helicopter of carrying out “dangerous manoeuvres” near the Russian warship and described its actions as provocative. He rejected Denmark’s characterisation of the helicopter’s mission as routine.
Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus, however, said one of the flares passed within a matter of metres of the helicopter. He described the incident as “deeply unprofessional seamanship.”
Danish defence authorities said ships commonly use flares as warning signals, while maintaining that the helicopter was conducting a routine operation.
Despite the incident, Bruus said Denmark would not seek consultations under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.