Sweden's army said it had found and neutralized a suspected Russian drone flying over its waters. France said it was a "ridiculous provocation" from Moscow.

Swedish military said on Friday that a Russian drone had flown unauthorized off the coast of southern Sweden while a French aircraft carrier was docked in the port of Malmo.

French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is in Malmo this week to take part in regular NATO exercise activities.

The incident comes as the Baltic Sea has become a hotspot in ongoing tensions between Russia and the NATO alliance countries, with nearby countries having reported numerous drone sightings in recent months, some of which have been blamed on Russia.

Swedish vessel ‘neutralized’ drone

This week’s suspected Russian drone was detected by a Swedish naval vessel, which authorities have said they found to be taking off from a Russian signals intelligence ship in the Oresund strait, a waterway that separates Sweden from Denmark.

The Swedish naval vessel reportedly took countermeasures to jam the drone.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot addressed the issue while in Malmo on Friday, telling journalists that if Russian involvement was confirmed, “the only conclusion I would draw is that it would be a ridiculous provocation.”

“The drone was neutralized away from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and in no way was the security of the aircraft carrier and its group threatened by this,” Barrot added.

[…]