Russian Foreign Ministry summons Danish ambassador over helicopter incident in Baltic Sea
Danish Ambassador to Moscow Rolf Holmbaugh was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The agency protested to Copenhagen over the provocative actions of a Danish helicopter of the Fennec type flying over the Russian corvette “Smart” in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea.
Danish Ambassador to Moscow Rolf Holmbaugh was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The agency protested to Copenhagen over the provocative actions of a Danish helicopter of the Fennec type flying over the Russian corvette “Smart” in the southwestern part of the Baltic Sea.
The Russian side indicated that it considers the actions of the Danish Air Force as a gross violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. “In the context of heightened tensions in the Baltic region, directly related to NATO’s increased anti-Russian military activity, a repetition of such reckless actions could lead to escalation and create the risk of a serious incident,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Russian frigate launched signal missiles on September 14. Copenhagen said the aircraft was conducting "planned photography" of the ship and called Russia's actions unacceptable. The Russian Foreign Ministry explained that the helicopter approached the ship less than 50 meters, which posed a threat to the safety of navigation. The crew of the corvette fired two signal missiles in the direction opposite to the helicopter, "after which he stopped provocative actions," the ministry added.
