A Russian warship fired warning shots near a U.K.-registered pleasure yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday, prompting a British Defence Ministry investigation and renewed attention to maritime encounters between Russia and the United Kingdom. Officials on both sides said the incident occurred outside U.K. territorial waters, about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight. No injuries or damage were reported, and the yacht continued toward France.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said the frigate Admiral Grigorovich identified the yacht on what it described as a dangerous course close to the warship. According to Moscow, the crew attempted radio contact, launched flares and used sound signals before firing small-arms warning shots across the yacht’s bow when the distance narrowed to 150 metres. It said the yacht then altered course and moved away, and that the frigate acted under international navigation rules to avoid collision.
Britain’s account broadly matched that description. The Defence Ministry said the shots were not aimed at the vessel and were intended to prevent a possible collision. The BBC reported the motorless yacht may have drifted toward the Russian ship in foggy conditions. HMS Mersey, a Royal Navy patrol vessel, was monitoring the Russian frigate and assisted the yacht’s crew.
The episode occurred two days after British commandos detained a sanctioned tanker in the Channel, suspected of links to Russia’s “shadow fleet.” British officials said they do not believe the two events are connected. The tanker’s Indian captain has been charged with shipping Russian oil in breach of sanctions and was ordered held in custody.
Royal Navy units routinely shadow Russian vessels near Britain, and recent encounters have included surveillance ships and submarines operating near U.K. waters. Officials cite concerns about undersea infrastructure and wider tensions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Tuesday’s incident concluded without escalation.