In Malmö, a French aircraft carrier was docked when Swedish forces intercepted a suspected Russian drone off the southern coast, officials reported.
On Thursday, the Swedish Armed Forces announced that a naval vessel had spotted what appeared to be a drone during a patrol in the Ålesund Strait, which separates Sweden from Denmark.
Measures were taken to disrupt the drone, after which contact was lost.
Currently, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is in Malmö as part of a routine NATO exercise. This city, located in Ålesund, is right across from Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital.
French military spokesperson Guillaume Vernet told the Associated Press that the drone was detected on Wednesday, prompting a response from Swedish forces, who are part of the security setup around the carrier.
On Friday, he noted that the drone was over nine miles away from Charles de Gaulle.
“The system has proven robust, and this incident did not affect the carrier battle group’s operations,” Vernet mentioned.
Sweden’s Defense Minister Poul Jonsson shared with public broadcaster SVT that the drone’s suspected airspace violation coincided with the presence of a Russian warship in Swedish territorial waters.
When asked about the drone’s origins, Jonsson suggested, “Probably Russia.”
The Russian vessel continues to navigate the Baltic Sea, and Swedish authorities are in close communication with Denmark regarding the matter. The military confirmed no additional drones were spotted.
Western officials allege that Russia is orchestrating sabotage and disruption efforts throughout Europe, with more than 100 incidents documented in an Associated Press database.
Not all incidents are revealed, and establishing a direct connection to Moscow can take significant time. Officials believe this ongoing campaign, kickstarted by President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, aims to undermine support for Kiev. They also suspect it’s a way for the Russian government to identify vulnerabilities in Europe and draw away law enforcement resources.
