Russian Frigate Fires Flares at Danish Helicopter
Russian Frigate Fires Flares at Danish Helicopter
The News
A Russian frigate fired two flares toward a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark's coast on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, Denmark's military said.
Denmark, a NATO member, is summoning Russia's ambassador in Copenhagen over the incident, Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told broadcaster TV2.
Bloomberg described the episode as the latest example of a worsening relationship between the two countries.
Timeline
A Russian frigate fires two flares in the direction of a Danish military helicopter in international waters off the Danish coast, according to Denmark's military. The flares narrowly miss the aircraft.
The Danish military makes the incident public. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus tells TV2 that Denmark will summon Russia's ambassador to Copenhagen over what happened.
Reactions
Denmark's military is the source of the account, saying the frigate fired in the direction of its helicopter and came close to hitting it.
Bruus, the defence minister, signaled Copenhagen is treating it as a diplomatic matter rather than a routine encounter, telling TV2 the Russian ambassador will be called in.
Moscow had not offered a public account of the encounter in the reporting available from Reuters, Bloomberg and the Jerusalem Post.
What's Next
The summons of Russia's ambassador in Copenhagen is the immediate next step. Denmark has not said publicly what it will demand in that meeting, or whether it will raise the incident with NATO allies.
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Why it matters to Americans
Denmark is a NATO member, which means the United States is treaty-bound to its defense. Incidents between Russian warships and NATO aircraft over international waters are the kind of friction that drags allies — including Washington — into a fast-moving dispute.
Poll
How should NATO respond to the flare incident off Denmark?
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