A Russian Navy ship fired warning shots at a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday, prompting diplomatic concerns between London and Moscow over maritime operations, according to British military officials.
The yacht reported the Russian vessel was approximately 500 yards away when the shots were fired. The incident occurred roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside British territorial waters, officials stated.
No injuries or damage were reported, and the yacht proceeded on its course after notifying authorities, officials confirmed.
Defense officials did not name the Russian ship, though the Royal Navy disclosed over the weekend that it had been shadowing the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in the Channel during routine operations.
The British Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday that the incident was under investigation.
The incident occurred two days after British forces seized the Russian shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos in the Channel. The Ministry said the weekend operation aimed to disrupt Russia’s shadow fleet—vessels that covertly transport fuel globally to evade sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.
The Defense Ministry emphasized Tuesday that the naval encounter and yacht incident were being treated as unrelated, isolated events.
British officials confirmed that the HMS Mersey monitored the Russian vessel during the incident, while the HMS Tyne dispatched a boat to verify the yacht crew’s safety.
