Intelligence Report: Russian Warships Direct Weapons To Danish Navy Ships, Disrupt Navigation

JAKARTA Russian warships are said to have repeatedly sailed in a collisional lane, directed weapons to Danish naval vessels, and disrupted the navigation system in the Danish strait that connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea.

Such incidents pose a risk of unwanted escalation, the Danish defense intelligence service said.

The Baltic area remains vigilant following incidents involving submarine cables, gas pipeline blackouts, airspace breaches, and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has raised tensions between Moscow and the West.

Denmark, a loyal Ukrainian supporter in its war with Russia, has stepped up its military budget and is committed to obtaining long-range precision weapons capable of striking targets within Russian territory.

"We have witnessed several incidents in the Danish strait, where Danish air force helicopters and naval ships have been targeted by tracking radars and physically directed at weapons from Russian warships," said Danish Defense Intelligence Agency Director Thomas Ahrenkiel at a news conference. reported by Reuters, Friday, October 3.

He said Russian warships had sailed on a path opposite Danish ships during their journey through the strait.

Ahrenkiel said Russian warships had docked in Danish waters for more than a week, suggesting a possible interference from Moscow if Denmark tries to curb the movement of the Russian "shadow armada" tankers used to evade Western sanctions against its oil exports imposed on the war with Ukraine.

In May, tensions escalated in the Baltic Sea as Russia deployed fighter jets as Estonia intercepted an oil tanker bound for Russia suspected to be part of the shadow fleet.

The Danish Strait, a busy international shipping route, is often the location of the movement of Russian military ships normally escorted by the Danish navy.

Defense intelligence also noted Russian warships sailed through the Danish strait with sonar and signal misbedding equipment, according to Ahrenkiel.

He said it was "very possible" for them, at least at one moment disrupting the signal and causing extensive GPS disturbances in Denmark.

The Danish intelligence agency assesses that Russia is launching a hybrid war against Denmark and the West at large.

"Russia uses military methods, including in an aggressive manner, to pressure us without crossing borders and entering armed conflict in a traditional sense," said Ahrenkiel.

Moscow has repeatedly denied responsibility for hybrid attacks in Europe. President Vladimir Putin joked on Thursday that he would not fly drones over Denmark again and called the idea that his country could potentially target NATO members "empty".