Russian warship fires warning shots near UK yacht in English Channel

British authorities are investigating an incident in the English Channel where a Russian warship fired warning shots near a U.K.-registered yacht. The Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich reportedly fired small arms across the bow of the pleasure yacht after attempts to contact it failed when it sailed on a "dangerous course in close proximity." The yacht, sailing from the U.K. toward France, was reportedly drifting toward the warship in foggy conditions. The incident, which occurred about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, caused no damage or injuries. Both the U.K. Defense Ministry and Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed warning shots were fired, with each side stating their vessel acted to avoid a collision and in accordance with international rules. The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Mersey was monitoring the Russian ship at the time and provided support to the yacht's crew. This encounter adds to heightened tensions between the U.K. and Russia, following closely behind an incident where British commandos boarded and detained a sanctioned tanker suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet." British defense officials do not believe the two events are linked. The altercation also occurs against a backdrop of previous close encounters between British and Russian naval vessels in the region.

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After the distance had closed to 150 meters (500 feet), the frigate's commander decided to fire warning shots across the vessel's bow using small arms.