Denmark’s military has closed airspace and shipping lanes after a failed missile test on a navy ship. Ships have been warned to avoid part of the Great Belt strait due to “missile fragments” raining down off the Danish coast.
The National Maritime Agency has warned ships to drop anchor if necessary.
A naval exercise began in the area last March and is due to end on Friday.
The Danish Defence Command reported: “Until the booster is disabled, there is a risk that the missile could launch and fly several kilometres away.
“The Harpoon missile is a sharp missile, but it is only the booster that is activated in connection with the test, and there is therefore no danger that the missile can explode or reach further than the booster rocket can lift.
“The danger area is estimated to be up to 5-7 km from Naval Station Korsør at a height of approximately 1,000 metres above the water in a southern direction and not in the direction of the Great Belt Bridge.
“The police and the Danish Maritime Authority are informed, and ships in the direction of the danger zone are notified and asked to wait for the problem to be resolved.
“The air space in the area is also closed.”
It comes just days after Poland a violation of its airspace by a Russian missile, sparking fears of a wider conflict as NATO forces stand ready to respond. The incident, which occurred near the town of Oserdów in the Lublin Voivodeship, has put the region on high alert.
The Ministry of National Defence confirmed that missile monitoring was conducted jointly with Ukrainian authorities, underscoring the collaborative efforts to safeguard against potential threats.
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the head of the Ministry, detailed the breach on Sunday, stating: “At 4:43, the airspace of the Republic of Poland was violated by one of the Russian missiles… It entered our country to a depth of 1,000-2,000 metres.”
Despite the intrusion, Kosiniak-Kamysz assured the public that stringent measures were in place to ensure safety, with radar systems closely tracking the missile’s movements.