Russian ship fires flare at German helicopter

The incident occurred in the Baltic Sea. The German Foreign Ministry commented on the situation.

German media reported an incident in the Baltic Sea between an unnamed Russian ship and a German military helicopter that was on patrol, writes Maritime Executive. 

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported this on Wednesday, December 4, based on comments by the German Foreign Minister on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.

The minister noted that a Russian ship in the Baltic Sea targeted a German helicopter, without providing any specific details.

“The ship, which is believed to be a tanker, fired a flare at the German helicopter. It is unclear whether the helicopter took any action against the tanker to provoke a response,” writes DPA.

Later, the German Ministry of Defense refused to confirm this report. Meanwhile, Minister Annalena Berbock called the incident “an example of Russia and China’s efforts in the region.” She also pointed to the recent damage to two undersea cables, which is believed to have been caused by a Chinese cargo ship.

She also mentioned the number of so-called “shadow” tankers operating in the Baltic Sea to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian oil. It is not clear from the report whether the shadow tanker fired the flare.

USM previously reported that the captain of the Chinese vessel suspected of damaging underwater cables in the Baltic Sea was Russian.