Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots Near UK Yacht in English Channel

Incident in the English Channel

London: On Tuesday, June 16, a Russian naval vessel reportedly discharged warning shots near a yacht registered in the UK while navigating the English Channel. This event occurred around 11:40 AM BST, situated between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, as reported by a news outlet. The Russian frigate involved in this incident was identified as the Admiral Grigorovich. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or damages to the yacht.

The British Defence Ministry has launched an investigation into the occurrence, which transpired approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside of British territorial waters. The frigate fired warning shots at a distance of about 500 yards from the British yacht, according to reports from another news agency. This incident follows closely after UK commandos intercepted a suspected Russian shadow fleet vessel in the same vicinity.

It is noteworthy that Russian warships frequently transit through the Channel, and their movements are routinely monitored by the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy indicated that the Admiral Grigorovich was under surveillance by HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey over the preceding weekend, describing the operation as standard procedure.

On Sunday, a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, attempting to navigate through the English Channel, was intercepted by the Royal Navy. The vessel, named SMYRTOS, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specialized law enforcement personnel from the National Crime Agency, as stated by the Ministry of Defence. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the interception of the Russian ship was conducted under his directives.

This operation was further supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group, including an RAF P-8 aircraft, along with HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. According to MarineTraffic, the Smyrtos, which was flying a Cameroon flag, departed from the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga on June 5, en route to Port Said, Egypt.