Sweden Intercepts Suspected Russian Drone Flying towards French Aircraft Carrier

Sweden’s military jammed a suspected Russian drone that was flying toward the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while it was docked in the southern port city of Malmo.

This was reported by Swedish public broadcaster SVT on Feb. 26.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday, a day after the French Navy’s flagship, Charles de Gaulle, arrived in Malmo as part of the Lafayette 26 exercise in the North Atlantic. The French military has said the drills are aimed at reinforcing NATO’s deterrence and defense posture.

Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said the drone breached Swedish airspace and indicated the episode may be linked to a Russian military vessel operating in the Oresund strait between Denmark and Sweden.

“The (Swedish) Armed Forces acted quickly and decisively in jamming the drone,” Jonson said, according to SVT. After electronic countermeasures were deployed, contact with the drone was lost and its current location remains unknown, the Swedish military told the broadcaster.

Sweden’s Armed Forces later confirmed the drone was Russian, after its identity had initially been unclear. Authorities said the Russian vessel associated with the incident subsequently moved into the Baltic Sea.

The episode adds to a pattern of suspicious drone activity and reported Russian aerial incursions across Europe in recent months. Western officials have linked such incidents to Moscow’s hybrid operations. In September 2025, drone sightings led to temporary airport shutdowns in Oslo and Copenhagen.