The Swedish armed forces have officially confirmed that a drone neutralized near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the port of Malmö belonged to Russia. The incident, described by Paris as a "ridiculous provocation," triggered a firm diplomatic response from Stockholm and Paris. Although the Kremlin initially dismissed the accusations as absurd, a technical analysis of the device completed on Friday evening left no doubt about the origin of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

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The Swedish armed forces announced in an official statement that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was disabled electronically near the French flagship "Charles de Gaulle," was of Russian construction. The incident occurred during a historic visit by the nuclear-powered French aircraft carrier to the port of Malmö. Swedish services, using electronic warfare systems, managed to "neutralize" the machine that had violated the security zone around the vessel. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that his country would speak on this matter "in plain text," pointing to the growing audacity of Russian actions in the Baltic Sea region. The initial phase of the crisis was characterized by mutual accusations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called suggestions of the drone's Russian origin "absurd" even before the results of technical analyses were published. In turn, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs warned that if reports of a Russian link were confirmed, France would treat it as a blatant provocation. After the final confirmation of the facts by military intelligence, Paris described the incident as "ridiculous," suggesting that Russia is trying to test the vigilance of allies under conditions that give it no military advantage, only diplomatic tensions. Following Sweden's accession to NATO in 2024, the Baltic Sea region has become an area of almost permanent incidents involving Russian aircraft and drones, which regularly violate the airspace of allied states.Tension in the region is further heightened by the ongoing war in Ukraine and increased NATO activity on its eastern flank. While the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" was visiting Malmö, another important vessel—the French anti-aircraft frigate "Chevalier Paul"—docked in the Polish port of Gdynia. These coordinated visits are meant to demonstrate the unity of European naval forces and their ability to project power rapidly in the Baltic basin.

Mentioned People

  • Cai Xuzhe — Experienced Chinese astronaut and commander of the Shenzhou-19 mission.
  • Song Lingdong — Air force pilot and junior crew member of Shenzhou-19.
  • Wang Haoste — Aeronautical engineer participating in the Shenzhou-19 mission.
  • Lin Xiqiang — Deputy Director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).