During the visit of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle at the port of Malmö, one of the Swedish Armed Forces ships observed a drone taking off from the Russian signals intelligence ship Zhigulevsk in Öresund.
The Swedish ship then activated countermeasures to disrupt the drone, approximately 13 kilometers from the aircraft carrier.
Unlawful flight
After an analysis of technical data, the Swedish Armed Forces have determined that it was a Russian drone that carried out an unauthorized flight.
"Our investigation shows that the Swedish Armed Forces acted quickly and correctly to maintain security in our immediate area. We monitored this vessel during its transit and were able to take countermeasures when a drone was detected," says Ewa Skoog Haslum, Head of the Swedish Armed Forces' Operations Command, in a press release.
In addition to the illegal flight, the Swedish Armed Forces state the Russian ship did not act in accordance with the rules for vessels transiting Öresund in Swedish territorial waters.
"Seriously"
The incident constitutes a violation of the Access Regulation and is a violation of Swedish airspace, emphasizes Minister of Defense Pål Jonson.
"It is obviously serious and irresponsible. The Armed Forces acted firmly and professionally with countermeasures that disrupted the drone," Jonson writes in a post on X.
The Russian ship has been followed by the navy out of Swedish territorial waters and is now in the Baltic Sea.
"This type of action is not surprising from the Russian side, but it is a serious incident that shows the importance of maintaining constant vigilance," Skoog Haslum continues.
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