Baltic Sea: Russian ship fires signalling rounds at German helicopter

The crew of a Russian ship in the Baltic Sea fired signalling ammunition at a Bundeswehr helicopter, which was conducting a reconnaissance mission, according to German press.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned the incident on the fringes of a NATO meeting in Brussels, but did not give any details.

Baerbock announced that surveillance of pipelines and data cables in the Baltic Sea would be stepped up as hybrid threats from Russia and its supporters were on the rise. The use of signalling ammunition is only permitted in emergencies.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of increasing tensions in the region.

Last month, damage to two sets of communication cables in the Baltic Sea — linking Finland and Germany and Sweden and Lithuania — in less than a day has drawn the authorities’ attention to possible subterfuge.

Sweden, Germany and Lithuania all launched investigations last week, looking into the role the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 played in the incident, as it was in the vicinity of the damaged cables at the time.

Our journalists are working on this story and will update it as more information becomes available.