Russian Warship Reportedly Fires Warning Shots Near British Yacht in English Channel
British authorities are investigating reports that a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed it was examining an “incident” after the yacht’s crew reported that a Russian naval vessel opened fire approximately 460 metres from their position. The encounter reportedly took place around 30 kilometres south of the Isle of Wight, outside British territorial waters.
No injuries or damage were reported. Moreover, the Russian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to British media reports, the vessel involved was the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich. Russian warships transiting the English Channel are routinely monitored by the Royal Navy, and the patrol vessel HMS Mersey was reportedly tracking the frigate at the time of the incident.
The episode came two days after British commandos boarded and detained a sanctioned tanker in the Channel that is suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” Officials have not suggested any connection between the two incidents.
Russian warship
The tanker’s captain, an Indian national accused of transporting Russian oil in breach of international sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, appeared in court on Tuesday and was ordered to remain in custody.
The reported warning shots are the latest in a series of confrontations involving British and Russian forces in waters around the United Kingdom. In November, the UK warned Moscow that it was prepared to respond to any territorial incursion after the Russian intelligence-gathering vessel Yantar was detected near British waters north of Scotland.
Earlier this year, Britain and Norway said they had tracked a Russian attack submarine and two intelligence-gathering submarines operating north of the UK for several weeks.
Former Defence Secretary John Healey said a Royal Navy frigate, aircraft and hundreds of personnel had monitored the vessels for an extended period, preventing what he described as “nefarious” activity targeting undersea infrastructure. He also accused Moscow of exploiting international distractions, including the conflict involving Iran, to increase hostile activity against Europe.
The latest incident recalls a confrontation in the Black Sea five years ago, when Russia claimed one of its warships fired warning shots and a military aircraft dropped bombs to force the British destroyer HMS Defender out of waters near Crimea, which Moscow considers part of its territory.
The UK rejected that account, insisting the destroyer had not come under fire. The episode marked the first time since the Cold War that Russia publicly acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a NATO warship, underscoring the growing risk of military incidents amid escalating tensions between Moscow and the West. It occurred roughly six months before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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