A Russian ship fired warning shots at a German military helicopter in the Baltic Sea, local media reported on Wednesday.
The incident occurred during a routine surveillance operation in the region, German press agency DPA reported, citing defense officials.
The Russian vessel reportedly used signal ammunition, a type of warning munition typically reserved for emergency situations.
Earlier on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock disclosed that a German helicopter was targeted by a Russian ship, but she did not provide any additional details.
“The Russian president, with the support of others, is further expanding his hybrid attacks on the European peace order,” Baerbock told reporters in Brussels, after a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
Baerbock accused Russia of destroying undersea cables and disrupting GPS channels in the Baltic Sea region, as part of its hybrid warfare campaign against NATO allies.
“There have been incidents with tankers operating illegally there to circumvent sanctions, and incidents in which a helicopter from Germany was suddenly fired upon by one of these tankers,” she said, without elaborating further information.
The confrontation comes amid heightened surveillance efforts in the Baltic Sea, where NATO allies have been monitoring potential threats to critical infrastructure, including undersea cables and pipelines. Recent damage to fiber-optic cables between several Nordic countries has intensified these concerns.