EU Approves $115 Million for NATO Naval Hub in Baltic Port Near Russia

4:09 PM ETDeveloping

World Desk

In Short: Denmark and Lithuania have bolstered their defenses amid tensions with Russia, with Denmark's defense minister accusing Russia of 'deeply unprofessional seamanship' in a recent incident.

The EU has approved $115 million to turn a Baltic port near Russia into a NATO naval hub, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the alliance's presence in the region.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the incident serious but not surprising, describing it as part of a pattern of intensifying Russian hybrid warfare against Europe and testing NATO.

Moscow and Copenhagen trade blame for the incident, with Russia's ambassador in Copenhagen insisting that 'dangerous manoeuvres' taken by the Danish aircraft were to blame.

In a separate development, two Italian Eurofighters scrambled under NATO command to intercept and shoot down a drone over Lithuania, marking the first operational air defense shootdown in the Baltic nation's airspace.

What's still developing

Denmark’s Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told TV 2 News that one flare passed within a “matter of metres” of the aircraft, and accused Russia of “deeply unprofessional seamanship”.
When asked if Denmark would seek Article 5 consultations over the incident – invoking the NATO measure that considers an attack against one member of the bloc to be an attack against all of them – Bruus said the incident was being taken seriously, but “we are not there”.
“Russia wants to sow fear and discord,” Frederiksen said, calling for closer unity and stronger defences for Denmark and Europe.
However, the potential for the war in Ukraine to escalate and entangle Europe’s NATO member states is rising.
Rail hubs ⁠and transport infrastructure serving Ukraine’s ⁠military are legitimate ⁠targets, she said, and Russia warned foreign diplomats in May to leave ‌Kyiv because of strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial ‌complex.
The Danish Straits – where most Danish incidents with Russia have taken place – are the Baltic’s main shipping gateway and a key oil route, including for Russian oil tankers.
Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district roughly 60 miles northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026.
"Last night, two Italian Eurofighters deployed on NATO Air Defence mission at Siauliai, scrambled and shot down a drone over Lithuanian airspace," a NATO official told Fox News Digital.

Sources

Kyivindependentlink