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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Denmark has accused the Russian navy of targeting its military ships and helicopters in Danish waters, including pointing weapons at them, putting its warships on a "collision course" with Danish vessels monitoring them through the waters.
The Russian embassy in Denmark told Newsweek in a statement that its navy strictly complies with maritime law and that Danish authorities had not informed Russia of any recent incidents.
Risk of NATO-Russia Clash Grows
The latest escalation comes as tensions sharply heighten between NATO and Russia, with Western allies accusing Moscow of waging an aggressive hybrid war against them. The Kremlin denies seeking conflict with NATO or Europe, though it says they are de facto at war in Ukraine due to the level of Western support for Kyiv's forces.
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There is a growing risk of a direct clash between NATO and Russia, an event that threatens to spark off a chain of events that could lead to a catastrophic war between the two nuclear-armed sides.
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Russia is suspected to be behind a series of drone swarms that surveyed and even disrupted critical infrastructure in Denmark and elsewhere, though investigations are ongoing.
It has also been accused of a series of serious NATO airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets, fueling discussions among allies about shooting down the aircraft. And alleged Russian intelligence agents have been detained in several European countries, including most recently Poland, accused of plotting sabotage attacks.
Moscow has denied the various allegations.
'Illuminated by Target-Tracking Radars'
Denmark has been at the forefront of the recent tensions.
“We have seen several incidents in the Danish straits where helicopters from the Air Force and naval vessels from the Navy have been illuminated by target-tracking radars and physically pointed at with weapons from Russian warships,” said Thomas Ahrenkiel, head of the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, at a press conference on Friday, BT reported.
Ahrenkiel added, speaking in Danish, that "we have also seen several examples of Russian warships sailing on a collision course with Danish naval vessels when we monitor the Russian ships’ passage through the Danish straits."
He also accused Russian warships of sailing through the Danish straits "with sonar and jamming equipment and, in at least one case, very likely carried out jamming, which caused extensive GPS disturbances in Denmark.”
"Russian Navy ships strictly comply with the norms of international maritime law, including those regarding innocent passage through Danish territorial waters and the Baltic straits," said a statement from the Russian embassy in Denmark sent to Newsweek, originally in Russian.
"The Danish authorities have not informed the Russian side of any incidents recently. We regard baseless speculation about creating threats to the safety of navigation as unacceptable and irresponsible."
Separately, both Belgium and Germany reported mysterious drone activity overnight into Friday. Belgian authorities reported that 15 drones were spotted flying over a military base and heading into Germany. Hours before, Munich Airport in Germany shut down due to drones spotted in the vicinity.
Updated 10/3/25, 2:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement by the Russian embassy.
Update 10/3/25, 10:26 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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