Russian Drone Launched at French Aircraft Carrier Intercepted in Swedish Port

A Russian drone recently approached the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, currently docked in Malmö, Sweden, during a strategic exercise, Swedish oulet svt.se reported on February 26.

The Swedish Armed Forces detected the drone and took immediate electronic warfare countermeasures, disrupting its approach.

The Charles de Gaulle, the largest non-US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world, was conducting a visit to Sweden when the incident occurred. The drone, launched from a nearby Russian vessel, was intercepted before it could reach the aircraft carrier, svt.se wrote.

The incident in Sweden follows a surge of Russian drone incursions into NATO and allied airspace over the past year. In September 2025, approximately 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace, forcing the military to scramble fighter jets to monitor the threat, according to the Associated Press.

Similar incursions have repeatedly breached Romanian territory near the Ukrainian border, prompting multiple European nations to deploy new, specialized anti-drone defense systems along the alliance’s eastern flank to counter the low-flying threats.

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The Swedish military has not confirmed whether the drone that targeted french aircraft carrier returned to the Russian vessel or crashed into the sea.

The Charles de Gaulle, a key asset of the French Navy, typically carries thousands of personnel and about 30 fighter jets.

Earlier, Sweden’s military intelligence had warned that Russia could be capable of launching a new war against another country within approximately one year, even while continuing its full-scale war against Ukraine.

According to the assessment, Russia maintains a strategic ambition to confront the West and is adapting its economy, industry, and armed forces for a prolonged war scenario. Although much of its conventional military capacity is currently committed in Ukraine, Moscow continues rebuilding its forces and expanding its defense industrial base.

The report notes that Russia has already significantly increased the production of weapons, ammunition, and military systems, while reorganizing command structures and reinforcing units. This regeneration capacity could allow it to recover enough military power to pose a new direct threat to other countries within a relatively short timeframe.

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