Meanwhile Denmark reports an increase in Russian hybrid threats against NATO
Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin has harshly condemned the seizure in international waters of an oil tanker believed to be part of the Russian “shadow fleet” by the French Navy, calling it “an act of piracy”. The Kremlin has denied any violation of international laws or transport of military material, accusing Paris of wanting to “distract its citizens from internal problems”.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed on X the intervention of the Navy commandos and the arrest of two crew members, with the ship now anchored off Saint-Nazaire.
In parallel, Denmark has reported numerous sightings of unidentified drones above military bases and airports since September 22, fueling suspicions of possible intelligence activities originating from Russian ships. While without direct evidence, Copenhagen does not rule out Moscow’s involvement.
The new report from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (Ddis), published on October 3, warns that the Russian hybrid threat towards NATO is increasing. While ruling out a direct military attack against Denmark, the Ddis considers it “highly probable” that Russia will intensify influence operations and provocations below the threshold of armed conflict to test the limits of the collective defense provided for by NATO’s Article 5.
