A Russian warship in the English Channel fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of UK-flagged yacht that appeared to be sailing on a collision course with it on Tuesday, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
The yacht did not report any injuries or damage and is continuing its journey.
The ministry statement said the crew of a Russian frigate saw the civilian yacht, Bright Future, and said it was “on a dangerous course” that would bring it into “close proximity” with the warship.
After several unanswered attempts to contact the yacht’s crew via radio, the vessel stayed its course and the Russian crew launched signal flares to get the vessel’s attention, according to the defense ministry.
The Russian ministry said that the sailboat continued its “dangerous approach” and once it was close to 150 meters away, the Russian frigate commander “decided to open warning fire along the vessel’s course using the ship’s small arms.” The yacht then changed course away from the Russian ship, the ministry said.
“The crew of the frigate ‘Admiral Grigorovich’ acted in strict accordance with international maritime regulations and took all necessary measures to prevent an incident,” Russia’s defense ministry said.
A UK Defense Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that “we are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel” after a UK-registered yacht said a Russian navy vessel fired warning shots nearby - about 500 yards away and 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.
The shots “were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to prevent a possible collision,” the UK MOD spokesperson said.
The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Mersey was also in the area and monitoring the Russian warship at the time.
The incident comes two days after the UK military, for the first time, intercepted an oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Officials are not linking the two events.
