Russia-Ukraine War: Drone Jams, Election Meddling & Rising Tensions in Europe
Sweden’s armed forces confirmed Friday that a drone intercepted near the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle earlier this week was Russian, escalating tensions in the Baltic Sea region as NATO allies report increased probing of their defenses. The incident occurred in the Öresund Strait, between Sweden and Denmark, while the Charles de Gaulle was docked in Malmö ahead of planned NATO exercises.
The Swedish military jammed the drone approximately seven nautical miles (13km) from the carrier on Thursday, losing contact with the device afterward, according to a statement released by Swedish authorities. Defense Minister Pal Jonson told public broadcaster SVT that there was a “strong link” between the drone and a Russian naval vessel, the Zhigulevsk, which had entered Swedish territorial waters. The Zhigulevsk subsequently sailed on to the Baltic Sea, Jonson added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, speaking aboard the Charles de Gaulle on Friday, described the incident as a “ridiculous provocation” if Russian involvement was confirmed. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed Barrot’s assertion as “absurd.”
The incident comes amid a broader pattern of reported drone activity near NATO member states. Denmark’s intelligence service warned Friday that the country’s upcoming general election on March 24th could be targeted by foreign interference, with Russia identified as a priority threat. A joint statement from Danish police and military intelligence cited concerns about disinformation and cyberattacks during the campaign. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the election on Thursday, citing Russia as one of Denmark’s biggest threats.
Elsewhere in Europe, Romania scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after a drone breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine. NATO allies have reported numerous drone sightings near military sites and airports in recent months, including incidents in Denmark and the Baltic states. An investigation was launched in December following drone overflights of the Île Longue naval base in France, home to the country’s nuclear ballistic submarines.
The situation is further complicated by disputes over energy transit routes. Leaders of Ukraine and Slovakia agreed to a face-to-face meeting Friday to address a blocked pipeline carrying Russian oil to Slovakia, and Hungary. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “blackmail” over the Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine says was damaged in Russian airstrikes in January. Orbán is also blocking an EU emergency loan to Ukraine as the dispute escalates.
In a separate development, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced Friday that it had negotiated a temporary local ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia to allow for the restoration of a backup power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. This marks the fifth such ceasefire brokered by the IAEA.
Concerns are also growing over the recruitment of foreign fighters by Russia. Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, stated Thursday that at least 55 Ghanaians have been killed fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine after being “lured into battle,” with an estimated 272 Ghanaians believed to have been recruited since 2022 and two currently held as prisoners of war. Ukraine claims more than 1,780 Africans from 36 countries are fighting in the Russian army.