The Swedish armed forces jammed a suspected Russian drone Feb. 25 as it approached a French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier while docked in Malmö during major NATO drills, according to reports.
The Charles de Gaulle warship, the flagship of the French navy, was visiting the southern Swedish port as part of the mission LA FAYETTE 26.
The drills brought NATO naval forces into the Baltic Sea region at a time of rising tensions with Moscow.
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The drone security breach unfolded when the carrier was in port, underscoring mounting concerns over Russian-linked drone activity near critical Western military assets, according to SVT.
The Swedish broadcaster reported that the drone was launched from a nearby Russian vessel and moved toward the carrier before being detected by Swedish forces.
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A ship from the Swedish navy found the suspected drone during ongoing sea patrols in the Öresund Strait.
In response, Swedish operatives activated electronic countermeasures, disrupting the aircraft’s control systems.
“A ship from the Swedish Navy observed a suspected drone during ongoing sea patrols in the Öresund,” the Swedish armed forces said in a statement, SVT reported.
“In connection with the observation, the Swedish Armed Forces took countermeasures to disrupt the suspected drone. After that, contact with the drone was lost,” the statement said.
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As yet, it remains unclear whether the drone returned to the Russian vessel or fell into the sea after being jammed.
Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson told SVT Thursday that the drone came “probably from Russia, as there was a Russian military vessel in the immediate vicinity at the time of the facts,” according to Le Monde.
“A drone was jammed yesterday by a Swedish system at about seven nautical miles from the Charles de Gaulle. The Swedish system worked perfectly and this did not disrupt operations on board,” French General Staff spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet also said.
This incident came just hours after Poland sent fighter jets overnight in response to another wave of Russian strikes over Ukraine, heightening tensions between Moscow and NATO, according to reports.
It also follows warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that his “adversaries know how things could end” if they resort to using a “nuclear” response.
