Denmark summons Russian ambassador after warship targets army helicopter

Denmark has summoned Russia's ambassador following an incident in which a Russian frigate fired two emergency flares at a Danish army helicopter during what officials described as routine monitoring in the Baltic Sea.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen called the move reckless, saying it was intended to intimidate and divide, and vowed that Denmark would not waver. Foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described the frigate's conduct as completely unacceptable. Former defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the episode was further proof of Russia's aggressive behaviour aimed at provoking conflict, while current defence minister Jeppe Bruus convened an all-party briefing to update political leaders on the details.

Wider pattern of incidents across Europe

The Danish incident forms part of a broader pattern of security events linked to Russia. Overnight, Nato fighter jets — flown by Italian pilots as part of a Nato mission — shot down a drone believed to have entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus. Lithuania's defence minister Kęstutis Budrys briefed EU and Nato allies on the incident, saying discussions are under way on strengthening the alliance's eastern flank. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda said such readiness was vital given Russia's intensifying aggression against Ukraine.

In Poland, authorities found the remains of a suspected Russian drone near the Baltic coast, a day after a separate Russian drone struck a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border. In the Netherlands, rail operator Pro Rail is investigating suspected sabotage after objects were placed on tracks at multiple locations, triggering signal failures that disrupted both train and road traffic at level crossings.

Separately, Sweden's parliamentary election count remains unfinished, with authorities warning results may not be confirmed until Thursday due to an unusually high number of late-arriving postal votes.