Moscow's Secret Operation Revealed; Russian warship spotted off the coast of Denmark VIDEO

At the same time, the Russian ship had its AIS devices turned off for the automatic exchange of information about identity and position between ships.

Alexander Shabalin was discovered just 12 kilometers from the Danish island of Langeland, in international waters between Germany and Denmark. The reporters of "Extra Bladet" responded to the tip and flew over the Russian landing ship with a helicopter, which then raised its anchor and moved away in an unknown direction.

Base in Kaliningrad

Alexander Shabalin belongs to the Russian Baltic Fleet stationed in Kaliningrad. It was built in 1985 and is equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and cannons. It can carry ten tanks and 340 soldiers. In recent years, Russia has often used it to transport troops and equipment to its Tartus base in Syria.

"Ekstra Bladet" writes that Shabalin was apparently hiding near Denmark at the time of the incidents above the airport, from which he was 70 to 270 kilometers away. However, the Danish newspaper emphasizes that it might be too obvious that the drones were launched from that very ship and speculates that the Shabalin may have served as support for Russian merchant ships that have sailed nearby in recent days.

Drones flying from ships?

Namely, the theory that the unidentified drones were launched from one of the numerous merchant ships that sail daily through the Oresund Strait towards Russian Baltic ports is spreading more and more in the Danish media.

At a press conference on Thursday evening, Danish police chief Thorkild Fogde confirmed that data on Russian ships is being intensively investigated.

"Ship traffic in Danish waters was the first thing we focused on in the investigation. I can't talk about a specific ship, but we have a good insight into friendly and less friendly maritime traffic," said Fogde.

When asked why the Danish police and security services do not stop and control the suspicious ships, Fogde replied.

"There is a legal framework that we have to adhere to. So far we have had no basis for boarding foreign ships in Danish territorial waters. There must be a concrete suspicion of a serious crime".