Russian warship fires on German helicopter as tensions in Baltic Sea rise – Euractiv

A Russian warship fired sign pictures at a German military helicopter on a reconnaissance mission over the Baltic Sea amid rising tensions within the area.

The German helicopter, which was on a routine surveillance mission, was focused with sign munitions because it flew over worldwide waters.

“There are occasional rule violations at sea or in airspace, however you possibly can belief that the Navy or Air Power at all times reply calmly and professionally to de-escalate,” a Defence Ministry spokesperson instructed journalists on Wednesday.

“This underscores the dangers of miscalculation within the area and the significance of defending important infrastructure,” German Overseas Minister Analena Baerbock instructed a NATO assembly in Brussels on Wednesday, reflecting rising issues about Russia’s assertive actions and their influence on regional stability.

German media retailers reported that the incident occurred final week, citing data from dpa.

Baerbock’s feedback come nearly every week after the Nordic-Baltic Summit in Harpsund, Sweden, the place leaders from the Baltic Sea states and Poland met to handle regional safety challenges.

Discussions centered on enhanced regional cooperation, together with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s concept of organising joint naval patrols within the Baltic Sea to guard important infrastructure corresponding to pipelines and undersea cables.

“A cooperation between nations across the Baltic Sea that share the identical sense of menace from Russia,” Tusk defined final week.

In response to the Polish prime minister, the area has change into an enviornment of geopolitical change.

“Warfare (in Ukraine) has utterly modified the fact of our area, the fact of the entire of Europe, the Scandinavian and Baltic nations,” he stated, concluding that the area wants “new instruments and impressive instruments to counter threats.”

The incident with the Russian vessel comes after the suspected sabotage of two undersea cables in November, which disrupted hyperlinks between Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Lithuania.

Swedish and Finnish authorities are investigating the sabotage amid suspicions Russia used a Chinese language ship to trigger the injury.

These occasions, together with Russia’s elevated army presence within the area, have heightened fears of hybrid warfare aimed toward destabilising NATO allies.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)