Copenhagen has dismissed reports in the Russian media as “misinformation”

Denmark has denied a report in the Russian media that an F-16 instructor from the country was killed by a Russian missile strike in Ukraine. 

Over the weekend, TASS cited “law enforcement sources” as claiming that a Danish national, Jepp Hansen, was killed in a strike on a training center in the city of Krivoy Rog in Dnepropetrovsk Region in central Ukraine.

In a statement on Monday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen dismissed the report as “misinformation.” 

“No Danish soldiers have been killed in Ukraine,” Poulsen said. “It is a false story that has been circulating in Russian media – probably to discredit Denmark,” he added. 

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The Russian media claimed that Hansen’s death had been “confirmed” by a friend on social media. However, according to other posts on X, the account supposedly belonging to his friend did not actually exist. 

Denmark has pledged to donate 19 US-made F-16 fighters to Kiev. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed the delivery of the first batch of six jets in November. Danish instructors have trained Ukrainian pilots at an airbase in Denmark, according to NATO and the Danish government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that all NATO troops and weapons in Ukraine will be viewed as legitimate targets for Russian forces. He also has stated that no amount of Western aid would prevent Russia from achieving victory in the conflict.