A drone believed to be of Russian origin was intercepted by the Swedish Navy roughly 13 kilometers from France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the port of Malmö, Sweden’s top defense official confirmed.
During a routine patrol in the Øresund strait — the narrow waterway dividing Denmark and Sweden — a Swedish naval vessel identified a suspicious unmanned aerial vehicle heading toward the French warship. After spotting the drone, Swedish forces implemented countermeasures to neutralize the potential threat. According to a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces, contact with the drone was subsequently lost, and no additional unmanned systems were detected.
In comments to SVT Nyheter, Defense Minister Pål Jonson indicated that the drone was likely Russian, noting that a Russian military ship had been operating nearby around the time of the February 26 incident. He described the situation as a probable breach of Swedish airspace and confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine whether any violation occurred.
The Swedish Armed Forces have not released further operational details.
Last month, Sweden revealed plans to significantly upgrade its unmanned systems capabilities, including acquiring remotely operated electronic warfare platforms equipped with drone-detection sensors that can be deployed on ships or land-based units.
Although authorities have not officially identified the Russian vessel seen in the area, open-source maritime analysts reported multiple Russian-flagged ships operating nearby at the time. Among them was the Sparta IV, a U.S.-sanctioned cargo vessel known for transporting military equipment between Syria and Russia.
According to Guillaume Vernet, spokesperson for the French General Staff, the Swedish response successfully drove the drone away from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle without interfering with the ship’s operations.
The carrier’s presence in the region is tied to ongoing and upcoming NATO drills, including the Orion 2026 exercises across the North Atlantic and Baltic areas, which commenced earlier this month and are scheduled to continue through March.
