Russian Frigate Fires Warning Shots at British-Flagged Yacht in English Channel

Overview

• A Russian frigate identified as Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots toward a British-flagged yacht about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, officials said, and the yacht reported no damage or injuries.
• The yacht’s occupants, Jane and Alan Kelvey, told the BBC they heard repeated horn blasts followed by four to five weapon discharges while the vessel was roughly 450–500 metres from the frigate.
• The Royal Navy sent a boat from HMS Tyne to the yacht to check on the crew and the UK Ministry of Defence says it is investigating the event and treating it as an isolated incident.
• Russia’s Ministry of Defence says the frigate fired after unsuccessful attempts to contact the yacht and after claiming the yacht made a 'dangerous approach,' a version disputed by the yacht’s crew.
• The episode follows recent UK action against a Russian-linked tanker and comes as NATO and UK sources have been monitoring a 'shadow fleet' of ships suspected of evading sanctions, a context that raises questions about Channel patrols and rules for using force at sea.