The Russian warship that fired two signal flares at a Danish military helicopter near Gedser has been identified as the corvette SKR-531 Soobrazitelnyj.
DR reports that the vessel fired the flares at a Fennec helicopter from the Danish Armed Forces on Monday. German police confirmed the identification of the ship to German broadcaster NDR, according to DR.
According to Reuters, the incident took place in international waters off Denmark near Gedser. Denmark said one flare passed close to the helicopter and that no one was hurt.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram that the corvette’s commander ordered two red flares fired to prevent a provocation by the Danish helicopter. The ministry said the helicopter then left the area. As reported by BBC Russian, the Danish military said the helicopter was on a routine photographic mission over the ship.
A corvette from the Baltic Fleet
The ship is almost 105 meters long and is armed with a gun and missiles. It belongs to Russia’s Baltic Fleet, which is headquartered in Kaliningrad, and carries a crew of around 90.
Johannes Riber, a commander and researcher at the Center for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen, told DR that the vessel is a corvette rather than a frigate. Per Riber, Russia often uses this class to escort tankers in its shadow fleet, which carries sanctioned oil.
Earlier encounters near Denmark
In early July 2026, Greenpeace activists in inflatable boats met the same ship in the Fehmarn Belt south of Lolland. Swedish member of the European Parliament Jonas Sjöstedt told Aftonbladet that the warship approached at high speed and did not answer the German coast guard.
In 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry published video of the crew during a Baltic exercise. The footage came from the Danish sea drone producer Stormborn, whose test near Bornholm was interrupted by the corvette. Simon Hviid of Stormborn told TV 2 that the ship suddenly appeared without warning.
DR reports that the Russian navy has for some time conducted a large operation in the Baltic Sea, Danish waters, the North Sea and the English Channel. Sources told DR that the aim is to deter NATO countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Germany and France from boarding and seizing shadow tankers.
The same sources said Soobrazitelnyj is part of that operation. DR describes the ship as a long-standing acquaintance of the Danish military, which is why Monday’s behavior drew attention.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the corvette’s commander has received an award for his actions during the episode. Riber told DR that handing out an honor two days later is pure signaling, and indicates the action was not spontaneous.
