SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Monday

Denmark slow to deliver tanks to Ukraine, Arctic patrol ships re-enter service, warm weather forecast for Easter and more news from Denmark on Monday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Monday
A Danish football fan during the men's national team's friendly match against Switzerland in Copenhagen on Saturday. The match ended 0-0. Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

Denmark delivers 30 of 100 promised tanks to Ukraine 

Around a third of the Leopard-1 tanks which Denmark at the start of 2023 said it would give to Ukraine have so far been delivered, newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported yesterday based on figures from the German defence ministry.

The Danish ministry did not provide any information other than to say that “many” of the tanks have been delivered, the newspaper writes.

The tanks were primarily older models owned by the Danish military and had been stored in Germany. They needed servicing and renovation before being sent to Ukraine, but technical problems have hindered the delivery schedule.

Vocabulary: kampvogn – tank

Easter could bring temperatures of up to 20 degrees

The school Easter holidays have already begun, and while the annual holiday falls relatively early this year – coming at the end of March rather than in April – the weather could be surprisingly warm.

Weather on Monday will be relatively cool interspersed by showers, but warmer weather could make a strong appearance by the weekend, meteorologist Martin Lindberg with national met office DMI told newswire Ritzau.

There will be “a short period with dry and stable weather in which it will be a bit warmer” around the Easter holiday weekend, Lindberg said.

Rainy weather with cold temperatures at night is expected to retreat by midweek, opening the way for some pleasant dry weather just in time for Maundy Thursday, which is a public holiday in Denmark.

Vocabulary: mestendels – mostly

Denmark’s Arctic patrol ships sailing again after technical problems

Two Danish Navy (Søværnet) patrol ships, which normally operate around Greenland, have had a sailing ban lifted after their backup engines were discovered on February 1st to be malfunctional.

The ships are the newest vessels in the Danish fleet and are designed to enforce Danish sovereignty year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland and the Faroe Islands. They can break ice of up to 80 centimetres in thickness.

The sailing bans were reportedly lifted on March 17th.

Vocabulary: at bryde is – to break ice

West Jutland train cancellations

A number of rail services in West Jutland have been affected by cancellations this morning, with the section between Esbjerg and Ribe particularly affected.

Up to 25 departures have been cancelled throughout the day, according to information on local operator Arriva’s website.

Broadcaster DR’s traffic service P4 Trafik Syddanmark said in a post on social media X that the cancellations are “due to equipment issues”.

Rail replacement buses are in operation on the affected routes but delays are likely.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TODAY IN DENMARK

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

Eurovision boss bitter after Denmark knocked out in semi-final, Swedish police close Øresund Bridge, sunshine expected on Sunday, and more news from Denmark on Friday.

Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Friday

“Pretty shitty”: Denmark’s Eurovision boss disappointed by semi-final ejection 

Erik Struve Hansen, the DR executive in charge of Denmark’s Eurovision entry, has expressed annoyance and bitterness that Denmark again failed to get through to the Eurovision final despite a rousing performance of Saba’s song “Sand” at the semi-final in Malmö on Thursday night.  

“We think it’s pretty shitty,” Hansen told the Ritzau newswire after “Sand” was one of five songs not to be put forward to the final. “There is no one who is more bitter about us not getting ahead than I am.” 

He said that after four years of weak entries which did not make the final, he believed that Denmark had cracked the code with “Sand”, with international fans largely praising the song as a return to form for the Danes. 

“It’s also a shame that it’s happening after a performance that I think was Saba’s strongest ever,” he said. 

Danish vocabulary: noget lort – pretty shitty 

Swedish police operation closes Øresund Bridge 

Swedish police closed the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden on Wednesday evening in a special operation carried out, they said, due to “a person feeling unwell”.

The bridge was closed in the Sweden-Denmark direction at 5.43pm, and then in the Denmark-Sweden direction at 6.42pm. It reopened again at 9pm.

Danish vocabulary: at genåbne – to reopen

Danish party calls for military trainers on the ground in Ukraine

The Defence spokesperson for Denmark’s Social Liberal party has called for Denmark to send military training personnel to Denmark to train Ukrainian soldiers on the ground, saying France, the UK and Lithuania are all considering this as a next step. 

“France, Great Britain and Lithuania are talking about it, and I think it is an important conversation to start, and that Denmark should be at the forefront of the discussion,” Christian Friis Bach, the party’s defence spokesperson said. “Ukraine is demanding it, and therefore I think it is important that we start talking about whether we should do it.”

Friis Bach said it was logistically challenging to take Ukrainian soldiers out of Ukraine for training, and training them in their own country would allow them to train on the equipment the country actually has available. 

The drawbacks, he said, were that the move would raise the risk of Danish casualties and risked escalating the conflict with Russia. 

Danish vocabulary: at efterspørge – to request  

Sun and 20C temperatures expected across Denmark on Sunday

After an overcast Friday and patchy clouds on Saturday, sun is expected across Denmark on Sunday, bringing summery temperatures of up to 20C, Denmark’s state forecaster DMI said on Friday morning. 

“The sun will break through completely, so there should be a lot of sun for the whole country,” Mille Jensen, one of the agency’s meteorologists, told the Ritzau newswire. 

On Friday, she said there would be light rain in the eastern part of Zealand and over Bornholm, although some parts of northwest Denmark could expect sun. On Saturday, most parts of the country will get sporadic sunshine. 

Danish vocabulary: at bryde igennem – to break through 

SHOW COMMENTS