Swedish armed forces confirmed on Friday that the drone neutralized near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was of Russian origin. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Öresund strait, about 13 kilometers from the ship docked in Malmö. The French Foreign Minister described such an action as a 'ridiculous provocation' if it came from Russia.
On February 25, 2026, a Swedish navy vessel, HMS Rapp, spotted and neutralized a drone during a patrol in the Öresund strait near the southern Swedish city of Malmö. The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was about 13 kilometers away, docked for a stop before participating in NATO exercises. The HMS Rapp was monitoring the Russian intelligence ship Zhigulevsk, which was navigating in Swedish territorial waters.
The Swedish ship's systems detected the drone's activity and activated countermeasures to jam it, disrupting its transmission or navigation. On Friday evening, after a technical investigation, the Swedish armed forces confirmed the drone was Russian and that its unauthorized flight violated Swedish territorial access rules. 'This type of behavior is not surprising from Russia, but it is a serious incident that underscores the importance of maintaining constant vigilance. Our units acted in an exemplary and professional manner,' said Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of operations command for the armed forces.
Following the incident, HMS Rapp escorted the Zhigulevsk out of Swedish waters into the Baltic Sea. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson described the action as 'irresponsible behavior' and noted that Russia was intensifying its intelligence activities, likely to gather information on the Charles de Gaulle. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson reaffirmed his belief that the drone was Russian.
From the French side, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, aboard the carrier, stated: 'If indeed, as the Swedish Defense Minister suggests, this incident had a Russian origin, the only conclusion I could draw is that it is a ridiculous provocation.' He added that the security of the Charles de Gaulle and its group was never threatened, as the drone was neutralized at a distance. The Kremlin, through spokesman Dmitri Peskov, deemed it absurd to attribute the drone to Russia solely due to the nearby Russian ship, claiming no knowledge of the details.
