Russian warship violates Danish territorial waters off Baltic Sea island TWICE amid soaring tensions over NATO membership of neighbouring Sweden
- Russian warship twice violated Danish territorial waters north of the Baltic Sea
- This ‘unacceptable provocation’, Denmark said, was nearby a democracy festival
- It comes amid Russian anger at Sweden, Finland applying for NATO membership
A Russian warship today violated Danish territorial waters north of the Baltic Sea twice in what the Nordic country has called an ‘unacceptable provocation’.
Danish Armed Forces said that the corvette twice entered Nato waters by passing near the island of Christiansø, close to Bornholm.
This comes as neighbouring Sweden and Finland have been launching their own bids to join the military alliance.
And also came on the day that the island of Bornholm hosted a democracy festival which was attended by senior lawmakers and business people.
The warship which is smaller than a frigate left after the Danish navy established radio contact, the armed forces said.
Danish Armed Forces said that the corvette twice entered Nato waters by passing near the island of Christiansø, close to Bornholm. Pictured: The Project 1331M anti-submarine corvette Urengoy takes part in a rehearsal for the Russian Navy Day main military parade in the Gulf of Finland in Kronstadt in 2021
This photograph shows a Russian tarantul-class corvette on a surveillance camera of the French navy patrol airplane Atlantique 2 on mission above the Baltic Sea on June 16
The Russian warship entered Danish waters without authorization at 12.30am this morning and again a few of hours later, the armed forces said in a statement.
It said: ‘A Russian corvette sailed into Danish territorial waters north of Christiansø.
‘Later that night, the same corvette again crossed the territorial sea boundary also north of Christiansø.
‘After a call on civilian VHF radio from the Navy’s maritime task force, the Russian ship immediately left Danish territorial waters. The Defense Command has no further to add.’
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Twitter, the move is ‘deeply irresponsible, gross and completely unacceptable Russian provocation in the middle’ of the Democracy Festival of Denmark.
‘Bullying methods do not work against Denmark,’ Mr Kofod added.
The annual festival is attended by senior government officials, including Mr Kofod and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Russian President Vladimir Putin inspectsing a naval corvette back in 2003
Mr Kofod also said the Danish government has ‘summoned’ the Russian ambassador.
There had however been no immediate threat against the festival or Bornholm, Danish defense minister Morten Bodskov told local media, citing the armed forces.
‘We must accept that the Baltic Sea is becoming a high-tension area,’ Bodskov said, adding that this was not the first time Russia had violated Danish territory.
Ukraine’s defense minister said last month that the country had started receiving Harpoon missiles from Denmark, deliveries that he said were the result of cooperation between several countries.
On Friday, Ukraine said its forces hit a Russian naval tugboat with two Harpoon missiles in the Black Sea, the first time it has claimed to have struck a Russian vessel with Western-supplied anti-ship weapons.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Twitter, the move is ‘deeply irresponsible, gross and completely unacceptable Russian provocation in the middle’ of the Democracy Festival of Denmark
The Russian embassy in Copenhagen did not immediately respond to a requests for comment by email and phone by Reuters.
Finland and Sweden applied to join Nato last month in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said need steps to be taken to reduce his ‘legitimate’ concerns over the Nordic countries’ becoming members.
Mr Erdogan would like action on ‘terrorism’ by both Nordic countries over Kurdish forces and more cooperation from their defence industries, according to a statement from Turkey’s Communications Directorate on Wednesday.
Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue.
Finland said last Thursday it plans to amend border legislation to allow the building of barriers on its eastern frontier with Russia in a move to strengthen preparedness against hybrid threats
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