LONDON, June 16 - Sailors on the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots at a civilian yacht that drew close to the warship in the English Channel, a source familiar with the event said on Tuesday.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said it was looking into reports of an incident in the Channel. The source said there were no injuries as a result of the exchange and that a Royal Navy vessel was monitoring the situation while the frigate was involved.
According to the source, the yacht was registered in the United Kingdom and alleged that the Russian Navy vessel had fired warning shots from roughly 500 yards (457 metres) away. The episode unfolded about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, which places it outside UK territorial waters.
Officials said the occurrence was not being treated as linked to a separate action earlier in the week, when British commandos boarded and intercepted a sanctioned Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the Channel. That operation was described as the first of its kind aimed at disrupting oil revenue that helps fund Russia's war in Ukraine.
The source told reporters on Tuesday that the recent firing incident was being regarded as isolated rather than part of a coordinated series of events. The Russian embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Ministry of Defence statement confirmed it was investigating the accounts of the incident in the Channel while the Royal Navy continued its monitoring role. Beyond the absence of reported injuries and the location of the event outside territorial waters, details remain limited to the account provided by the source and the statements from British authorities.
Summary of the facts
- The Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots at a UK-registered civilian yacht in the English Channel.
- No injuries were reported; a Royal Navy vessel was monitoring the incident.
- The encounter occurred about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters, with shots alleged at approximately 500 yards (457 metres).