While the French carrier was in port, the Russian electronic intelligence ship Zhigulevsk entered Swedish territorial waters. The vessel appeared in the area in accordance with international regulations, exercising the right of free passage through the Øresund Strait.
The Swedish warship HMS Rapp, deployed to protect the carrier, moved closer to the Russian vessel to monitor its movements. Systems on board the Swedish ship detected the drone in the air and activated electronic warfare measures to disrupt the object, which had launched from the Russian ship and attempted an unauthorised flight into a restricted area.
“Our investigation has shown that the Swedish Armed Forces acted quickly and correctly to ensure security in our immediate vicinity,” said Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of the Swedish Armed Forces’ Operational Command. “We monitored this vessel during its transit and were able to take swift countermeasures once the drone was detected.”
Authorities in Stockholm said the Russian vessel also violated regulations applicable to ships transiting the Øresund Strait. Following the incident, the ship was tracked by the Swedish Navy until it left Swedish territorial waters and it is now in the Baltic Sea.
Source: Swedish Armed Forces.
