- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
A Russian frigate fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, as the Kremlin is becoming increasingly aggressive.
The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after incidents involving gas pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, all of which have increased tensions between Moscow and the West.
asserted
all → see → Moscow
The military helicopter had been on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate, the Danish defence command said in a statement late on Monday.
asserted
command → photograph → Monday
One of the flares - pyrotechnics usually used as a warning signal at sea - passed close to the helicopter, the defence command said.
asserted
command → use → helicopter
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the incident was serious but not surprising, calling it part of a pattern in which an increasingly aggressive Russia has intensified its hybrid warfare against Europe and is testing Nato.
'Reckless action from Russia towards Danish military during a routine overflight yesterday.
asserted
Russia → say → overflight
Russian actions are meant to intimidate and divide.
asserted
actions → mean → ?
They will not succeed.
asserted
They → succeed → ?
We will not waver,' Frederiksen said in a statement on X.
'Russia wants to sow fear and discord.
asserted
Russia → waver → fear
Our answer is to stand closer together and strengthen the defence of Denmark and Europe,' she added.
asserted
she → stand → Denmark
A Danish Air Force EH101 Merlin helicopter (File pic)
Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during Nato's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone
Hybrid attacks are typically classified as incidents of aggression that fall short of acts of war.
asserted
that → secure → war
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the incident 'unacceptable' and said it could have endangered human lives.
'Denmark is working to ensure that all shipping can pass peacefully through Danish waters, but Russia is gradually moving the line for what it considers acceptable behaviour,' he said in a statement.
uncertain
he → call → statement
He said he had summoned Russia's ambassador to Denmark for a meeting.
asserted
he → say → meeting
They are also a major artery for global oil shipments, including from Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.
asserted
They → include → sanctions
Denmark's Defence Intelligence Service said last year that Russian warships had repeatedly sailed on collision courses with Danish vessels, targeted Danish helicopters and ships with tracking radars, and pointed weapons at them in the straits.
asserted
warships → say → straits
Russia has dismissed accusations over such incidents and repeatedly denied carrying out hybrid attacks in Europe.
asserted
Russia → dismiss → Europe
It comes as just after midnight on Tuesday, Nato fighter jets scrambled to shoot down a drone that breached Lithuanian airspace after an urgent phone warning was issued to residents.
asserted
warning → come → residents
The drone entered the country from neighbouring Belarus and was heading west before it was shot down near the central-southern village of Pratkunai outside the city of Kaunas.
asserted
it → enter → Kaunas
An emergency warning was sent to phones in Vilnius, Trakai and Elektrėnai.
asserted
warning → send → Vilnius
The drone was shot down by Nato forces around 30 minutes after the warning was sent.
asserted
warning → shoot → forces
It is the first drone to be shot down in Lithuanian territory.
asserted
It → shoot → territory
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X in the early hours of Tuesday: 'A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by Nato fighter jets.
asserted
that → write → jets
I thank Allied personnel for their swift response.
asserted
I → thank → response
'With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.
asserted
readiness → intensify → region
Together with our Nato Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace.
asserted
Lithuania → defend → airspace
The town where the drone was shot down - Pratkunai - is more than 30 miles from the border with Belarus.
asserted
drone → shoot → Belarus
Lithuania shares a large part of its southern and eastern border with Belarus, a major Russian ally run by Putin-puppet Alexander Lukashenko.
asserted
Lithuania → share → Lukashenko
Lithuania's armed forces and Italian pilots serving in the Nato Air Defence Mission 'showed a swift and responsible response' to the drone incursion, Lithuania's Ministry of Defence said.
asserted
Ministry → serve → Defence
A phone displays the alert message sent to the public, warning about a possible drone attack in Vilnius on September 15
A Nato fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace today (stock image)
asserted
that → display → airspace
Drone sightings were reported in Lithuania on Sunday, with the crisis management centre later saying an object had 'likely' entered from Belarus and travelled across the country's territory before entering the airspace of Russia.
asserted
object → report → Russia
It comes after Boris Johnson narrowly escaped a Russian drone that hit a train shortly after he had passed through.
asserted
he → come → train
The former prime minister was aboard a private train that was forced to speed up to reach Poland on Sunday morning after an incoming drone hundreds of kilometres away was detected.
Ever since the outbreak of Russia's war on Ukraine, military drone incursions have become increasingly common across Europe.
asserted
incursions → force → Europe
On Monday night, Poland also announced there had been 'aviation operations' in its airspace 'due to the activity of Russian Federation's jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles conducting strikes on Ukrainian territory'.
asserted
Poland → announce → territory
These measures are of a 'preventive nature' and are geared towards 'securing airspace and its protection, especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions', it added.
asserted
it → gear → regions
Nato jets have scrambled several times to shoot down stray Ukrainian drones that have entered into Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia this year.
asserted
that → scramble → countries
Kyiv has blamed the stray drones on Moscow's electronic warfare, technology designed to change the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.
asserted
Kyiv → blame → drones
The Aporia
