Russian navy ship present near Denmark during drone raids – media
During incidents involving unidentified drones that disrupted airport operations in several Danish cities this week, a ship of the Russian Baltic Fleet, the Alexander Shabalin, was present near the country’s territorial waters.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported this with reference to Danish media, according to Ukrinform.
Ekstra Bladet journalists located and photographed the ship using a specially chartered helicopter. The publication notes that the Russian vessel is based in the Kaliningrad region and had been positioned near Denmark for several days. Because its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal was switched off, the ship did not appear in maritime monitoring systems, the report says.
Immediately after Copenhagen Airport was forced to close two days ago due to unidentified drone activity, speculation arose in Denmark that the drones might have been launched from a vessel.
According to Ekstra Bladet, the Danish Armed Forces were aware that the Russian warship was located off the coast of the island of Langeland, but had not issued any comment. The distance from the island to the sites affected by the drone incidents ranges from 70 to 270 kilometers.
Russia has dismissed suggestions of its involvement in the series of drone incidents in Denmark, which this week disrupted airport operations and affected military facilities.
The possibility that Moscow was behind the incidents was raised in an interview with Reuters by Peter Viggo Jakobsen, professor at the Royal Danish Defence College. According to him, Russia is operating on the edge of what might trigger a NATO military response, but without crossing that line.
As reported by Ukrinform, Copenhagen Airport temporarily suspended arrivals and departures overnight on September 23 after 2–3 large drones were spotted nearby.
Commenting on the incident, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described it as a serious attack on critical infrastructure, adding that no version of who may be behind it is being ruled out during the investigation.
Photo: Per Rasmussen