The Swedish Armed Forces confirmed that a Russian drone was observed taking off from the Russian Navy’s electronic intelligence ship Zhigulevsk in the Öresund Strait, during the visit of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the port of Malmö.
According to an official statement from Försvarsmakten, the incident occurred in direct connection with the presence of the French vessel in the region. The Swedish Navy responded quickly and carried out electronic interference to neutralize the drone.
“The Armed Forces can now confirm that a Russian drone was observed taking off from the Russian signals intelligence vessel Zhigulevsk in the Öresund. The incident occurred in connection with Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Malmö, and the Navy acted quickly to disrupt the drone,” the institution said.
Drone detected 13 km from aircraft carrier
According to information previously released by Swedish media, the drone was detected on Wednesday in the Öresund Strait, approximately 13 kilometers from the French aircraft carrier, which was docked before heading to a NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea.
Upon identifying the suspicious aerial object, Swedish forces deployed a military vessel to carry out electronic countermeasures and interrupt its operation.
Sweden’s Defense Minister, Pål Jonson, told broadcaster SVT that the drone was “likely” of Russian origin, citing the presence of a Russian military ship nearby at the time of the incident. On Friday, the military officially confirmed that the device had been launched from the Russian intelligence vessel.
Kremlin called accusations “absurd”
Before Sweden’s official confirmation, the Kremlin had described suggestions of Russian involvement in the incident as “absurd,” after Stockholm indicated a strong link to Moscow.
The episode occurred amid increased allied naval activity in the Baltic Sea. The Charles de Gaulle, the flagship of the French Navy and powered by nuclear propulsion, was heading north to participate in NATO exercises in the region.
The situation underscores rising tensions in the Baltic, especially after Sweden’s accession to the alliance and the strengthening of NATO’s naval presence near Russian territory.
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Source and images: X @Forsvarsmakten. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Försvarsmakten kan nu bekräfta att en rysk drönare observerades lyfta från det ryska signalspaningsfartyget Zhigulevsk i Öresund. Händelsen skedde i samband med Charles de Gaulles besök till Malmö och marinen agerade snabbt för att störa ut drönaren. pic.twitter.com/dvMYDVIiwV
— Försvarsmakten (@Forsvarsmakten) February 27, 2026
