Swedish Defense Minister Paul Jonsson officially confirmed that the drone shot down by Swedish military forces near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during its stay in the port of Malmö had Russian origins.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Details of the Incident Near the French Aircraft Carrier
According to the minister, an analysis of technical data revealed that the drone was launched from the Russian reconnaissance vessel “Zhigulovsk.” The incident occurred during the visit of the French aircraft carrier to the Swedish port when an unidentified drone approached the ship. The Swedish military quickly responded and shot down the device, preventing potential threats.
“The Swedish Armed Forces can now confirm based on technical data that the unauthorized drone was launched from the Russian reconnaissance vessel ‘Zhigulovsk,'” he stated on his social media.
Reactions from the Parties and Further Statements
Paul Jonsson emphasized that this incident constitutes a serious violation of Sweden’s access and airspace regulations, and the actions of the Russian Federation are irresponsible. He highlighted that the Swedish military acted decisively and professionally, neutralizing the threat and taking necessary countermeasures to disrupt the drone’s operation.
In response, the Russian embassy in Sweden released a statement from Ambassador Sergey Belyaev, claiming that the Swedish side’s statements regarding the drone’s origin lack sufficient evidence and that the Russian side has not received any official inquiries regarding this incident.
It is worth noting that earlier, on February 27, the Swedish authorities reported the approach of a drone to the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle,” which was in the port of Malmö. The drone was successfully “neutralized” by Swedish military forces.