A Russian warship sailing through the English Channel on Tuesday fired warning shots several hundred yards in front of a British-flagged yacht that was believed to be on a collision course, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said.
The yacht was not injured or damaged and continues to sail.
The ministry said in a statement that the crew of a Russian frigate spotted the civilian yacht Bright Future and said it was “traversing a dangerous route” that could bring it “close” to the warship.
According to the Ministry of Defense, several attempts to contact the yacht’s crew by radio went unanswered, but the vessel remained on course and the Russian crew fired flares to attract the vessel’s attention.
The Russian ministry said the sailing ship continued its “dangerous approach” and when the distance between it and the ship approached 150 meters, the Russian frigate commander “decided to use the ship’s small arms to fire warning shots along the ship’s path.” The yacht then veered away from the Russian vessel, 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 accident,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said on Tuesday that the British-registered yacht was “investigating reports of an incident in the Channel” after a British-registered yacht said a Russian naval vessel fired warning shots about 500 yards from the Isle of Wight and 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of British territorial waters.
A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson said the shelling “was not directed at the vessel and was an attempt to prevent a potential collision.”
At the time, the Royal Navy’s patrol ship Mersey was also in the area, monitoring Russian warships.
The incident came two days after British forces seized the first oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Officials have not linked the two events.
