Denmark buys long-range US, Norwegian missiles, drawing Russian ire
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Denmark's Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus holding a press conference in Copenhagen on Oct 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Denmark bought long-range missiles from US and Norwegian firms to deter Russia. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the aim is to strengthen Denmark and NATO deterrence.
- The deal includes Norwegian strike missiles for F-35 jets and US Anthem missiles for land use. Bruus gave no number, cost, or delivery date.
- Moscow condemned the move and warned of “inevitable disastrous consequences”. Denmark also signed a US deal to boost maritime cooperation and shipbuilding.
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COPENHAGEN - Denmark said on Oct 22 it had bought long-range missiles from US and Norwegian manufacturers, after announcing a year earlier it would acquire such weapons to deter Russia.
The move drew condemnation from Moscow.
“We have bought two different missile systems: Norwegian strike missiles from Kongsberg, which can in particular be launched from our F-35 fighter jets, and Anthem missiles from the American company Covenant, which can be fired from land,” Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus told a press conference.
Bruus did not specify the number of missiles or the costs, nor when deliveries would begin.
In September 2025, Copenhagen announced it was planning on acquiring long-range missiles capable of reaching targets inside Russia, stressing that the threat from Russia would weigh on Europe for a long time to come.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the time called it “a paradigm shift in Danish defence policy”.
“We are facing a security situation where no one can predict what will happen tomorrow,” Bruus told reporters on Oct 22.
The minister stressed that this situation required Denmark to possess new military capabilities to strengthen both its own and NATO’s collective deterrent force.
Denmark announced it had also signed an agreement with the United States aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation, particularly in the area of shipbuilding.
The Russian embassy in Copenhagen, in a written statement, said Denmark’s missile policy aims at confrontation with Moscow and warned of “inevitable disastrous consequences”.
“Copenhagen is enthralled by the dangerous illusions that purchasing offensive high-precision long-range weapons to pose a military threat to a nuclear power will help strengthen Denmark’s security and defence,” the embassy said. AFP, REUTERS