Sweden's armed forces confirmed that they jammed a Russian drone spotted near France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while it was docked in Malmö. The incident occurred on Wednesday, February 25, in the Öresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark, as the carrier made its first-ever port visit to the southern Swedish city.

A Swedish Navy patrol vessel, identified as HMS Rapp, detected the drone taking off from the Russian signals intelligence ship Zhigulevsk, which was in Swedish territorial waters. The unmanned aerial vehicle approached within about 13 kilometers, or eight miles, of the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle before the Swedish forces activated jamming countermeasures, disrupting its radio signals and causing contact to be lost. No further sightings of the drone were reported, and officials emphasized that the carrier and its battle group faced no threat at any time.

The Swedish Armed Forces made the confirmation public on Friday, stating that the drone conducted an unauthorized flight in violation of national airspace regulations. Defense Minister Pål Jonson described the event as a "breach of Sweden’s access regulations and a violation of Swedish airspace," calling it "serious and irresponsible." Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted the timing was unlikely to be coincidental, adding, "It is a Russian way of acting that we recognise from other places."

French officials praised the Swedish response. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot labeled a potential Russian link a "ridiculous provocation," while a military spokesman highlighted the robustness of the security measures around the carrier. The Charles de Gaulle arrived in Malmö on February 24 as part of Mission Lafayette 26, a deployment supporting NATO deterrence activities in the Baltic and North Seas.

The Kremlin rejected the allegations. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the claims "absurd," denying any connection simply because a Russian vessel was in the area. Swedish authorities monitored the Zhigulevsk as it transited through their waters and into the Baltic Sea.

The episode comes amid heightened tensions in the Baltic region, where NATO members have reported multiple drone incursions near military sites and infrastructure, often attributed to hybrid tactics linked to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Sweden, a NATO member since 2024, and France have bolstered cooperation to counter such threats.