A Russian warship has fired at a German army helicopter over the Baltic Sea, with the crew of the Russian vessel shooting signal ammunition at the military aircraft, according to the German Press Agency in Brussels. The Bundeswehr helicopter was conducting a reconnaissance flight at the time.

This incident occurs amid heightened tensions between the Kremlin and NATO countries, particularly following the use of UK and US missiles by Ukraine to strike Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has since declared that both the UK and the US are now “directly involved” in the conflict.

Germany has been reorganizing its military for a potential conflict, as noted by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who has established a new cyber and information division in addition to the traditional military branches.

Signal ammunition is typically reserved for emergency situations. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who confirmed the event at a NATO conference without disclosing the exact timing, also noted that many Russian ships in the Baltic Sea have been involved in circumventing sanctions.

Security around undersea pipelines and data cables has been heightened, following recent attacks on infrastructure. Last month, two fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea were damaged, with investigations focusing on the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, which was in the area at the time. Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, called for clarification from China regarding the damage.

Russia has also faced accusations of jamming GPS signals in various regions, including the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and eastern Mediterranean. In March, a British RAF plane carrying then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps experienced GPS interference while flying near Russian airspace.