Russia has repeatedly violated Danish territory

Russia has repeatedly challenged Danish territory, DR reports, after a Russian vessel fired signal flares at a Danish military helicopter the previous day. Similar incidents have involved Russian warships, aircraft and suspected GPS interference.

Russian warship sailed towards ferry in April 2024

A Molslinjen ferry travelling between Sjællands Odde and Aarhus had to make a sharp course change in April 2024 when a Russian frigate sailed through the Kattegat.

The Danish Defence said the warship did not change its course or speed, even though the vessels would otherwise have been on a collision course. The ferry’s captain tried to contact the Russian crew but received no response.

Captain Peter Korsager Andersen later told Politiken that the manoeuvre was made from a considerable distance but had felt dramatic for the ferry’s passengers. He said he was angry because the ferry had to use more fuel.

GPS and AIS signals disappeared in October 2022

On 3 October 2022, GPS and AIS signals suddenly disappeared across a large area around the Great Belt. Two Russian corvette-type warships were in the area at the time.

Experts assessed that information pointed to the two corvettes as the reason the signals stopped working. A corvette is a fast-moving, lightly armed warship and the smallest type of warship capable of carrying out longer-term surface missions. It is often described as a “mini-frigate”.

Anders Puck Nielsen, a naval commander and military analyst at the Defence Academy, said the two Russian ships were modern warships with weapons and sensors capable of attacking GPS signals. He stressed that this did not prove Russia was responsible, but said the evidence pointed strongly in that direction.

Danish authorities have not publicly confirmed that Russia was behind that incident. However, the Defence Intelligence Service has assessed in a general analysis of threats to Denmark that Russia’s behaviour in the Baltic Sea has become more aggressive since the start of the war in Ukraine. The service has identified GPS interference as part of Russia’s toolkit.

Russian corvette entered Danish waters in June 2022

During the People’s Meeting on Bornholm in June 2022, a Russian corvette entered Danish waters twice on 17 June, north of Christiansø.

Then-Defence Minister Morten Bødskov called it a serious violation and provocation against Denmark and Danish territory. He said there was no direct threat to Denmark, Bornholm or the event.

Then-Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod described the Russian vessel’s behaviour as “bullying tactics”.

Russian military aircraft entered Danish airspace

In May 2022, Danish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a Russian military aircraft flew approximately one kilometre into Danish airspace east of Bornholm.

The Danish Defence said the aircraft remained in Danish airspace only briefly and that the F-16s intercepted it. The Russian aircraft then continued into Swedish airspace, where it also remained for a short period before leaving the area, according to Sweden’s defence authorities.

In August 2020, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet that had taken off from Kaliningrad flew into Danish airspace. NATO said the aircraft had been detected in international airspace over the Baltic Sea by a US B-52 bomber taking part in an exercise, shortly before the bomber approached Danish airspace.

The Russian aircraft then followed the US plane a considerable distance into Danish airspace, NATO said.