UK investigates Russian warship firing warning shots near yacht in Channel
Britain’s military is investigating reports that a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday, the BBC reported . The incident was reported around midday roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, in international waters.
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the encounter, saying the commanding officer of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich ordered signal flares and sound signals fired after the yacht, identified as the Bright Future, made a “dangerous approach” toward the warship and failed to respond to repeated radio calls. A seaboat from the patrol vessel HMS Mersey reached the yacht to confirm those aboard were safe; no injuries or damage were reported, and the yacht continued its journey.
The episode adds to a pattern of friction between Russian and NATO navies in waters around Europe. Russian warships transiting the Channel are routinely shadowed by the Royal Navy, and a confirmed use of warning signals against a civilian vessel in those waters is unusual enough to draw an official British inquiry.