The Swedish Armed Forces announced they detected and jammed a suspected Russian UAV in the Öresund strait, the area separating Sweden and Denmark, while the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was anchored at Malmö port for NATO training activities.
According to the Swedish military, a naval vessel on patrol observed the suspicious UAV. Countermeasures were deployed to disrupt the flight device, after which contact with the target was lost. No other UAVs were recorded.
French military spokesperson Guillaume Vernet told the Associated Press that the UAV was detected on Wednesday and handled by Swedish forces within the security system protecting the carrier strike group. He stated the device was more than 6 miles from the ship and the incident did not affect the fleet's operations.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson told the broadcaster SVT that the incident occurred at the same time a Russian military vessel was present in Swedish territorial waters. When asked about the origin of the UAV, he stated there was a high probability it was linked to Russia.
Swedish officials said the Russian ship continued moving into the Baltic Sea. Stockholm is coordinating closely with Denmark regarding developments in the Öresund, the area opposite the capital Copenhagen.
Western officials have recently accused Russia of conducting a campaign of sabotage and disruption across Europe since President Vladimir Putin launched the military campaign in Ukraine in 2022. The Associated Press database has recorded more than 100 related incidents.
