Sweden intercepts suspected Russian drone approaching French aircraft carrier
Sweden's military jammed a suspected Russian drone that was flying toward the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which was docked in the port of Malmo, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported on Feb. 26.
Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson confirmed that a drone — likely Russian — had violated Sweden's airspace and suggested the incident was connected to the presence of a Russian military vessel in the Oresund strait between Denmark and Sweden.
The incident, which took place on Feb. 25, marks the latest case in a string of suspicious drone sightings and Russian aerial incursions that have been taking place across Europe in recent months, a development Western officials linked to Moscow's hybrid operations.
Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French Navy, arrived at Malmo on Feb. 24 as part of the Lafayette 26 exercise in the North Atlantic. The French military said that the drills are meant to strengthen NATO's deterrent and defensive posture.
"The (Swedish) Armed Forces acted quickly and decisively in jamming the drone," Jonson said, according to SVT. Contact with the drone was subsequently lost, and its current status is unknown, the Swedish military told the broadcaster.
The Russian vessel linked to the incident then traveled into the Baltic Sea, according to Stockholm.
Russian shadow fleet vessels sailing through the Baltic Sea have been suspected of carrying out Moscow's hybrid operations, including launching and controlling drones flying over European cities.
In September 2025, suspicious drone sightings forced temporary shutdowns of airports in Oslo and Copenhagen.
