# Swedish Minister for Defence thanks the crew of HMS Rapp for drone operation

- Source: Nordic Defence Sector (https://nordicdefencesector.com)
- Canonical URL: https://nordicdefencesector.com/en/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation
- Published: 2026-11-05
- Author: Mikael Berg
- Type: News · Section: Maritime · Country: sweden
- Language: en — machine translation from sv; the sv version is authoritative: https://nordicdefencesector.com/sv/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md
- Also available in: de (https://nordicdefencesector.com/de/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), dk (https://nordicdefencesector.com/dk/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), es (https://nordicdefencesector.com/es/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), fi (https://nordicdefencesector.com/fi/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), fr (https://nordicdefencesector.com/fr/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), it (https://nordicdefencesector.com/it/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), no (https://nordicdefencesector.com/no/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md), pl (https://nordicdefencesector.com/pl/article/swedens-minister-for-defence-thanks-the-crew-of-hms-rapp-for-drone-operation.md)
- Primary source: https://x.com/PlJonson/status/2117969726907600985
- Tags: hms rapp, charles de gaulle, zhigulevsk, swedish armed forces, french navy, orion 26, öresund, pål jonson, russia, sweden

> Minister for Defence Pål Jonson has thanked the crew of HMS Rapp. The vessel jammed a Russian drone during Charles de Gaulle's visit to Malmö in February.

![The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the visit.](https://imagedelivery.net/XO8UY-c6-LfWgEjQsN8IQw/53687363-8901-41ac-929a-e9fdeaf67900/public)
*The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the visit. · Caitlin Qvist/ Försvarsmakten*

**Minister for Defence Pål Jonson has thanked the commanding officer of HMS Rapp for the crew's efforts in the Öresund Strait in February. The vessel detected a Russian drone during the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle's visit to Malmö (southern Sweden) and jammed it.**

"The crew of HMS Rapp deserve great recognition. Through high readiness and swift action, an unlawful Russian drone flight was prevented," Pål Jonson writes [on X](https://x.com/PlJonson/status/2117969726907600985).

According to Jonson, HMS Rapp was tasked with monitoring and protecting the French carrier strike group. When the Russian signals intelligence vessel Zhigulevsk passed through the Öresund Strait, HMS Rapp tracked its movements. The ship's systems detected drone activity, after which the crew jammed the drone.

The Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) have previously confirmed that the drone was launched from the Zhigulevsk, as [NDS has reported](https://nordicdefencesector.com/sv/article/sweden-disrupted-russian-drone-in-oresund). Jonson described the incident at the time as a breach of the Act on the Protection of Certain Areas (tillträdesförordningen) and a violation of Swedish airspace.

The Charles de Gaulle was in port in Malmö (southern Sweden) at the time, with around 1,800 crew members on board. The ship played a central role in the French-led exercise Orion 26, and [NDS visited the aircraft carrier](https://nordicdefencesector.com/sv/article/onboard-charles-de-gaulle) during the port call.

France's ambassador to Sweden, Thierry Carlier, has [responded to the post](https://x.com/CarlierThierr11/status/2118077039869927899).

"Many thanks to the Swedish Navy and the Swedish Armed Forces for their unwavering commitment, dedication and impressive performance! It demonstrates an unprecedented level of cooperation and mutual trust between our navies," he writes on X.

## FAQ

**What did the crew of HMS Rapp do in the Öresund in February?**

The crew of HMS Rapp detected and jammed a Russian drone in the Öresund in February, in connection with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle's visit to Malmö. Minister for Defence Pål Jonson thanked the crew for its high readiness and swift action, which prevented an unlawful drone flight. Last fact-checked: 2026-11-05.

**Where did the Russian drone detected in the Öresund take off from?**

The drone took off from the Russian signals intelligence vessel Zhigulevsk, which was passing through the Öresund while HMS Rapp monitored its movements. The Swedish Armed Forces have confirmed the origin, and Jonson described the incident as a breach of the Protection of Military Installations Act (tillträdesförordningen) and a violation of Swedish airspace. Last fact-checked: 2026-11-05.

**How did France's ambassador respond to the Minister for Defence's statement about the operation?**

France's Ambassador Thierry Carlier responded to Jonson's post by thanking the Swedish Navy and the Swedish Armed Forces for their commitment and efforts. He emphasised that the incident demonstrates an unprecedented level of cooperation and mutual trust between the French and Swedish navies. Last fact-checked: 2026-11-05.

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