Two unidentified drones were observed overnight from September 25 to 26 over the Karlskrona archipelago in Sweden, SVT reported, citing police representative Mattias Lundgren.
The archipelago houses Sweden’s main naval base in the country’s southeast. The drones flew within 10 kilometers of the facility.
“This is a larger variant, similar to what was over Denmark and Skåne. It’s unclear what exactly happened, but we have filed a report for violation of the Aviation Act,” Lundgren said, according to SVT.
Local residents spotted the drones and contacted police, according to Lundgren. Officers near the Mjölkesund bridge managed to observe what appeared to be a drone firsthand. Residents of Sturke and Tjurkö also reported an unknown drone on the evening of September 25, describing it as flashing red and green lights.
“Now patrols need to provide their information, and we will collect witness statements and see if we can move forward based on this information,” said Evelina Olsson from the command center.
The incident follows similar drone sightings in Denmark and the Skåne region, suggesting a pattern of unidentified aerial activity over Nordic territory near sensitive military installations.
Recent airspace violations escalate tensions
On the night of 10 September, Russian drones violated Poland’s airspace. Military forces shot down approximately four of 19 unmanned aircraft, Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported. One drone damaged a house and car in Lublin Voivodeship, with debris found in several villages. Poland activated NATO’s Article 4 that same day to discuss the situation.
“The drones that attacked Ukraine could have crossed the Polish border,” Russia’s Defense Ministry reported, expressing readiness for consultations with Warsaw. The Kremlin left the situation without comment.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the launch of “Eastern Guard” operation on the Alliance’s eastern flank on 12 September, aimed at “eliminating specific threats related to drone use.” The operation covers Poland and Romania.
President Andrzej Duda signed a resolution on 14 September, authorizing NATO member state military presence on Polish territory within the Eastern Guard framework.
Regional pattern emerges
Romania declared air alert in northern regions on 13 September due to strike drone threats. Two F-16 fighters scrambled at 6 pm, intercepting a Russian Shahed drone over the Danube around 7 pm. The Defense Ministry clarified the drone did not fly over populated areas and posed no immediate threat to civilians.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy responded to the incident, saying the Russian drone remained over Romania for 50 minutes.
Three Russian fighters spent 12 minutes in Estonian airspace on 19 September. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna called this “a violation of territorial integrity and UN Charter principles that require refraining from the threat of force.”
An emergency UN Security Council session convened in New York on 22 September regarding Russian aircraft violations of Estonian airspace, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha present. Sybiha emphasized that similar threats require immediate neutralization.
The North Atlantic Council met on 23 September under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty to consult and condemn Russia’s 19 September airspace violation of Estonia.