Russian frigate fires flares at NATO member Denmark's military helicopter in international waters

Denmark will summon Russia's Copenhagen ambassador to a meeting over the incident, Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus separately told broadcaster TV2.Follow us on GoogleA Danish Air Force EH101 Merlin rescue helicopter comes in to land after the NATO military exercise Arctic Shield 2026 in Narsarsuaq, Greenland, on September 9, 2026.(photo credit: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 09:25Updated: SEPTEMBER 15, 2026 09:28A Russian frigate on Monday fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off the coast of Denmark, narrowly missing the aircraft, the Nordic NATO member country's military said in a statement.The helicopter had been on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate, the Danish defense command said.Flares are pyrotechnics usually used as a warning signal at sea, it added.Denmark will summon Russia's Copenhagen ambassador to a meeting over the incident, Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus told broadcaster TV2 separately.The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular office hours.The Russian Northern Fleet's guided-missile frigate Admiral Kasatonov sails alongside the gas tanker Portovoy as they navigate the Fehmarn Belt to exit the Baltic Sea on August 17, 2026. (credit: Navy of Russia / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)NATO allies engage with Russian drones, operationsNATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus early on Tuesday morning, Lithuanian authorities said."A drone the just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a post on X/Twitter. "I thank Allied personnel for their swift response.""With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our NATO allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace."On September 10, NATO allies caught Russian submersibles training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints.A joint operation involving Britain, Norway and the United States tracked and confronted the Russian vessels at sea, the two officials said, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The vessels were prevented from completing their exercise and eventually left the area.This comes as Western intelligence fears that the Kremlin is preparing for a conflict with NATO, Reuters reported.Follow us on Google