UK Military Probes Reports of Russian Warship Firing at British Yacht

The British military is probing allegations that a Russian warship fired warning shots at a U.K.-registered yacht in the English Channel. The Defense Ministry confirmed it is investigating an "incident" after the yacht reported being fired upon by a Russian navy vessel approximately 500 yards away. The event took place about 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside of British territorial waters.

Fortunately, no injuries or damage to the yacht were reported as a result of the incident. While the Russian government has not yet responded to requests for comment, British media identified the Russian vessel as the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. It is routine for Royal Navy ships, such as the patrol vessel HMS Mersey which was monitoring the Russian ship at the time, to shadow Russian warships passing through the English Channel.

This reported firing incident occurred just two days after British commandos intercepted and detained a sanctioned tanker in the Channel, believed to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet." Officials have not officially linked these two events. The tanker's captain, an Indian national, faces charges for allegedly shipping Russian oil in violation of international sanctions related to the war in Ukraine and was ordered held in jail after a court appearance.