Drone jammed near French aircraft carrier was probably Russian, says Sweden

A drone that was jammed by the Swedish military near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, docked in Malmö for its first visit to Sweden, was "probably" Russian, according to Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson. The drone was detected about seven nautical miles (13 km) from the carrier, which is scheduled to participate in NATO exercises in the region.

Jonson indicated a likely strong connection between the drone and a Russian naval vessel present in Sweden's territorial waters in the Öresund Strait between Sweden and Denmark. The Russian ship reportedly continued its journey to the Baltic Sea after the incident.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claims, calling the suggestion that the drone was Russian "absurd."

For months, NATO allies have reported increased drone activity near military sites and airports, including numerous incidents in Denmark and the Baltic states. In December, an investigation was launched after drones flew over Île Longue, a French naval base housing nuclear ballistic submarines near Brest.

Regarding the recent drone incident near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in Malmö, both French and Swedish armed forces have downplayed its impact. French General Staff spokesman Col Guillaume Vernet highlighted the "robustness" of Sweden’s response and confirmed that the incident did not affect the carrier’s mission.

High-level French officials, including the foreign minister and the armed forces minister, were scheduled to visit Malmö around the time of the incident, though it is unclear if their visits were directly related.

A French ex-military commander at the UN, Gen Dominique Trinquand, noted that if the drone was Russian, it would be consistent with Moscow conducting intelligence operations in the area, especially given the strategic presence of the Charles de Gaulle.

The carrier, which carries Rafale fighter jets and reconnaissance planes, has its own naval escort but depends on host nation defense while in territorial waters. Its deployment in Sweden marks a shift in France’s military focus toward supporting NATO allies in Northern Europe under the mission "La Fayette 26." The Charles de Gaulle is set to participate in NATO exercises in the Baltic and Atlantic, seen as a response to ongoing Russian hybrid warfare.

Separately, Sweden’s coast guard has launched an investigation into a fuel spill detected in Malmö’s port, near where two oil tankers and the Charles de Gaulle are docked. The cause is unknown, but the spill is reportedly not linked to the aircraft carrier.