Russian frigate warns UK yacht in English Channel
At about 11:40am BST on Tuesday, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired a series of warning shots near a UK‑registered, motor‑less yacht cruising between the Isle of Wight and France’s Normandy coast.
Foggy conditions had caused the small vessel to drift close to the warship; witnesses on the yacht say the Russian ship fired from roughly 500 yards (457 m) – a surprisingly short distance at sea.
The yacht’s occupants reported no injuries or damage. The incident prompted a Ministry of Defence spokesperson to confirm an investigation was underway.
The event comes only days after Royal Marines intercepted a Russian shadow‑fleet tanker loaded with sanctioned oil in the Channel, the first of its kind for the British military. Officials say the two episodes are unrelated.
Royal Navy warships HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne were on routine surveillance of the Admiral Grigorovich before and after the incident, having tracked the frigate near Brest, France, last weekend.
A NATO source confirmed the frigate had been ordered by Moscow to escort shadow‑fleet vessels through the Channel. Further satellite imagery suggests a repair vessel, the PM‑82, supply‑relayed food and water to the frigate, enabling it to stay at sea for extended periods.
The recent escalation of tensions between the UK and Russia over the former’s support for Ukraine underscores the significance of naval activity in the Channel. Despite this, the Ministry of Defence is treating the warning shots as an isolated incident.
