Denmark and Sweden have summoned Russia’s ambassadors to their countries after a Russian military plane violated their airspace.
Danish and Swedish military authorities reported that Russian planes entered Danish airspace on Friday evening, April 29, east of the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm then entered Swedish airspace. The move by Russia came days after Finland and Norway announced plans to join Transatlantic military alliance, NATO, with NATO saying their membership could be accepted as much as early as June.
On Sunday, May 1, Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said Russia’s ambassador to Denmark has been summoned over the spy plane incident, which he slammed as “unacceptable”.
“The Russian ambassador is summoned to the foreign ministry tomorrow,” Kofod tweeted on Sunday.
“A new Russian violation of Danish airspace. This is totally unacceptable and particularly worrying in the current situation,” he said.
The Swedish foreign ministry also said the Russian ambassador would be summoned in Stockholm.
“There exist established procedures for this kind of case. It concerns notably summoning the representative of the implicated nation to the foreign ministry,” Sweden’s ministry said in an email.
The airspace violation triggered swift reactions in Sweden, where Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told local media that such action was “unprofessional” and “inappropriate” considering heightened tensions in the region due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Swedish defence ministry said in a statement that the incursion by the “Russian AN-30 propeller plane” was monitored and recorded.
It's not the first time, Russia has violated Swedish airspace.
In early March, four Russian fighter jets penetrated the airspace over Sweden.
Henrik Mortensen, a Danish Defence Command press officer, said the Russian reconnaissance plane was in Danish airspace “for a very brief moment. Two Danish F-16 immediately intervened”.
Since Moscow launched its land, sea and air offensive against Ukraine on February 24, Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland have been reviewing their long-standing military neutrality and are considering joining NATO. Denmark is already a member of NATO.
Moscow has repeatedly warned Finland and Denmark against joining NATO.
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