Russian ship opens hearth on German helicopter on reconnaissance mission
A German helicopter has come under fire from a Russian ship, say reports. The Baltic Sea incident comes after heightening tensions between Russia and the West. According to the German Press Agency, the Bundeswehr helicopter had been on a reconnaissance mission when the crew of the Russian ship is said to have opened fire using signal ammunition.
The incident is understood to have already been mentioned during a NATO meeting by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, although few details were revealed at the time. The type of ammunition in question is understood to be used only in emergency situations.
According to Bavarian paper Mittelbayerische Zeitung, the Baltic Sea is frequently navigated by ships seeking to avoid sanctions placed following the invasion of Ukraine over two and a half years ago. According to the same outlet, the ship in question was a form of tanker.
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The Green party politician is understood to have announced more patrols as a means to tackle the rise of Russian hybrid warfare methods conducted against the West. Russia is suspected of having used sympthetic criminals and agents to carry out operations in a bid to sow insecurity through NATO.
Germany’s increased patrols come as part of a bid to sure up cables and piplines in the Baltic and it was this, as well as the attack on the helicopter, that have been cited as the justification. But NATO’s eyes aren’t only on Russia on such matters. Damage was incurred on a fibre optic cable between Sweden and Lithuania and another between Finland and Germany, and although the casue remains unkown, Swedish investigators are said to be focussing on a Chinese ship called Yi Peng 3.
Following the damage, Donald Tusk, Poland’s Prime Minister proposed joint surveillance among Western states’ navies.
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