Demonstration of the Parade system by Thales in Brétigny-sur-Orge, France, on May 27, 2025. THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP
According to the Swedish military, after inspecting the device, there was no doubt: The drone neutralized by its navy on February 25, not far from the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which was docked in Malmö at the time, was of Russian origin. Although Russia denied involvement, this was the first time a prohibited flight had been directly attributed to it, despite longstanding suspicions due to a surge in such incidents in recent months. Since mid-2025, around 40 similar events have been recorded across Europe, including in France.
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Europe faces new challenge as Russian drones breach its airspace
On September 21 and again on October 2, 2025, drones were detected over the military camp in northeastern Mourmelon-le-Grand. On November 10, 2025, a drone flew over the Bergerac factory of powder manufacturer Eurenco. Then, on December 4, 2025, five devices were detected above the Ile Longue base in Brittany, which houses the French nuclear ballistic missile submarine base. Across Europe, airport traffic in Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels was repeatedly disrupted at the end of 2025 due to drone activity.
