Russia challenging Danish skies more often

New Defence figures showed that Danish fighter jets scrambled far more frequently in 2022 compared to previous years

The War in Ukraine looks to have emboldened Russia to ‘test’ Denmark’s airspace with increased frequency.

New Defence figures reveal that Danish fighter jets were forced to scramble to intercept foreign military planes twice as often in 2022 compared to previous years.

Denmark’s F-16s were forced into the skies 80 times last year – a significant uptick compared to 2021 (30), 2020 (42), 2019 (47), 2018 (38), 2017 (37), 2016 (21) and 2015 (40).

READ ALSO: Russian ambassador’s knuckles rapped over intrusion in Danish airspace on Friday night

Many close encounters
“It’s an expected consequence of the general increase in traffic in the area – by sea and by air,” said General Flemming Lentfer.

“The War in Ukraine means that all nations with an interest in the Baltic Sea have enhanced their presence. That goes for Russia as well as the NATO countries.”

Typically, Denmark’s F-16s are scrambled to investigate suspicious radar activity – most cases involve Russian aircraft heading for Denmark only to peel off before reaching Danish airspace. 

Often, these encounters involve Danish and Russian planes coming into such close proximity to one another that the pilots can make eye contact.

Actual breaches of Danish airspace are rare. Last year it only occurred twice … once by sea and once by air.





  • How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    How internationals can benefit from joining trade unions

    Being part of a trade union is a long-established norm for Danes. But many internationals do not join unions – instead enduring workers’ rights violations. Find out how joining a union could benefit you, and how to go about it.

  • Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals in Denmark rarely join a trade union

    Internationals are overrepresented in the lowest-paid fields of agriculture, transport, cleaning, hotels and restaurants, and construction – industries that classically lack collective agreements. A new analysis from the Workers’ Union’s Business Council suggests that internationals rarely join trade unions – but if they did, it would generate better industry standards.

  • Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    Novo Nordisk overtakes LEGO as the most desirable future workplace amongst university students

    The numbers are especially striking amongst the 3,477 business and economics students polled, of whom 31 percent elected Novo Nordisk as their favorite, compared with 20 percent last year.