The drone came "probably from Russia, as there was a Russian military vessel in the immediate vicinity at the time of the facts", Jonson told the SVT television channel.

"In all likelihood, there is a strong link between the Russian military vessel and this drone."

Swedish armed forces are investigating the incident, which occurred on Wednesday in the Oresund Strait, around 13 kilometres (eight miles) from the Charles de Gaulle.

A Swedish Navy vessel spotted the drone and jammed it -- using electronic signals to attempt to break the connection between the aircraft and its operator, or disrupt its navigation tools.

Jons said it was "likely" that the drone had violated Swedish airspace.

A French military statement said "the Swedish Armed Forces took countermeasures to disrupt the suspected drone" before losing contact with it.

The minister noted that Sweden had taken "special protective measures" during the presence of France's aircraft carrier.

The French Navy's flagship and its escort, made a port call on Wednesday for the first time in the Swedish port of Malmo, before joining NATO exercises.

The nearby Baltic Sea is a theatre of rivalry between Russia and the NATO alliance countries.

Four years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there is growing concern that such disruption could be part of hybrid war tactics by Moscow against the European nations which have backed Kyiv.