Sweden Says Drone Near French Aircraft Carrier Was Probably Russian
Sweden’s defence minister has said a drone jammed by the Swedish military near a French aircraft carrier docked in Malmo was probably Russian, raising further concerns over increased surveillance activity around Nato forces in Northern Europe.
The French military confirmed the drone was detected about seven nautical miles from the Charles de Gaulle, which is visiting Sweden for the first time and is scheduled to take part in Nato exercises in the region.
Defence Minister Pal Jonson told Swedish broadcaster SVT there was likely a strong connection between the drone and a Russian naval vessel operating in Swedish territorial waters in the Oresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark. He said the Russian ship later continued into the Baltic Sea, though it remains unclear what ultimately happened to the drone.
The Kremlin dismissed the claim, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling the allegation “absurd.”
Nato allies have reported multiple drone sightings in recent months near military installations and airports, including incidents in Denmark and the Baltic states. France also opened an investigation in December after drones flew over the Île Longue naval base near Brest, which houses its nuclear ballistic missile submarines.
Both the Swedish and French armed forces downplayed the latest incident. French General Staff spokesman Col Guillaume Vernet said Sweden’s response demonstrated strong defensive capability and that the event had no impact on the French mission. France’s foreign minister and armed forces minister were due to visit Sweden and board the carrier while it remains docked in Malmo, though officials did not confirm whether the trip was related to the drone incident.
A former French military commander at the United Nations, Gen Dominique Trinquand, said that if the drone was Russian, it would signal intelligence-gathering activity while the carrier was deployed, calling it a strategic message from Moscow.
The Charles de Gaulle, which carries Rafale fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft and operates with its own naval escort, depends on host nations for protection while in territorial waters. Its arrival in Sweden reflects a shift in France’s military focus toward supporting Nato allies in Northern Europe.
Under the La Fayette 26 mission, the carrier strike group will take part in Nato exercises in the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean near Norway. The deployment is widely viewed as a response to prolonged Russian hybrid warfare activities.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s coast guard has launched a separate investigation into a fuel spill detected in the port of Malmo, where two oil tankers and the French carrier are docked. Port authorities said the spill is not believed to be connected to the aircraft carrier.
