Sweden Disrupted Russian Drone in the Øresund

The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) confirm that a Russian drone conducted an unauthorised flight from the signals intelligence ship Zhigulevsk in the Öresund Strait. The incident occurred in connection with the visit of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, whereupon the Swedish vessel HMS Rapp activated countermeasures and disrupted the drone.

– The incident constitutes a violation of the access regulation and is an infringement of Swedish airspace, announced Defence Minister Pål Jonson via a post on X. The Russian ship Zhigulevsk was at the time in Swedish territorial waters according to international law regarding transit.

The Swedish ship HMS Rapp was in the area to monitor the passage and protect the visiting French aircraft carrier group. Onboard systems indicated drone activity in the vicinity, prompting the Swedish Armed Forces to activate countermeasures to disrupt the unauthorised flight. After analysis of technical data, it is now confirmed that the drone took off from the Russian ship.

– Our investigation shows that the Swedish Armed Forces acted swiftly and correctly to maintain security in our vicinity, says Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of the Swedish Armed Forces' operations command, in a press release. She also emphasises the importance of constant vigilance and that the Swedish units acted professionally during the incident.

The Defence Minister describes the Russian actions as serious and irresponsible. In addition to the unauthorised drone flight, the Swedish Armed Forces note that Zhigulevsk violated the applicable regulations for ship passage through Swedish territorial waters. The Swedish Navy subsequently followed the signals intelligence ship out of Swedish territorial waters towards the Baltic Sea.