Russian warship OPENS FIRE on German helicopter as Putin accused of 'attack' on Nato
Boris Johnson says the world's collective security will be degraded if Ukraine loses
GB NEWS
A Russian warship has opened fire on a German military helicopter while it was flying over the Baltic sea, according to the German foreign minister.
Initially, the Russian crew fired warning shots near the Nato reconnaissance aircraft, which was conducting standard patrols in the area.
While signal ammunition - which was used - is generally deployed as a warning rather than a direct attack, reports have suggested that the event indicates an escalation in the Ukraine war.
In particular, it has been reported that it signals a "growing proximity" between Nato and Russia which could bring the two bodies closer to a "direct clash", according to The Sun.
Russian warships docked (Stock)
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Originally, the helicopter was sent to fly above the Baltic Sea as the area increases its patrols around the area.
The type of ammunition that was fired is usually used for emergency situations only.
A German defence ministry spokesperson would not confirm the reports regarding the incident between a Russian warship and a German chopper in the sea.
However, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock is said to have mentioned the clash during a Nato meeting which took place in Brussels.
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The minister did not offer up any further information on the event, according to German paper Bild.
Still, Baerbock said that Nato would increase the amount of monitoring and protection of critical infrastructure following media reports that the Kremlin was spreading its attacks in the Baltic Sea.
She shared online: "Putin is attacking our peace order with hybrid attacks."
She disclosed that Russian warships continue to sail via the Baltic Sea in an effort to bypass sanctions that have been enforced on the nation since 2022.
German defence minister Boris PistoriusGettyThe foreign minister also said that there would be increased monitoring of pipelines, data cables and other infrastructure in the area to prevent recurrence of Russian attacks in this region, which has historically caused a significant amount of damage to cables as well as suspected sabotage to GPS systems.
In November, two cables - one which linked Finland and Germany and another between Sweden and Lithuania - were damaged within 24 hours, leading to German defence minister Boris Pistorius to suspect sabotage.
As a result of the suspicion surrounding the event, Sweden, Germany and Lithuania have initiated criminal investigations in the past week, focusing on China's bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 which departed from Russia's Ust-Luga port two weeks ago.
Russia has denied responsibility for the damage to the cables.
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