Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots Near British Yacht in English Channel

A British couple describes the surreal moment a Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht in the English Channel.

In an unsettling encounter, a retired British couple found themselves in the path of a Russian warship in the English Channel. Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing their yacht, the Bright Futureabout 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight when they came into close contact with the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.

The incident, which occurred on a Tuesday morninghas raised questions about maritime safety and international relations. The couple described the experience as surrealhighlighting the unexpected nature of the encounter.

The Incident: A Close Call in the English Channel

The Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots into the path of the Kelveys’ yacht, an action that the Ministry of Defence described as an isolated incident.

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the yacht was on a dangerous approach towards the warship. However, the couple maintained that they were definitely not on a collision course.

Jane Kelvey recounted the sequence of events to BBC Newsnight“The warship gave out five blasts on their horn, which means ‘have you seen us?’ We immediately turned two degrees to port so they could see we had made a deliberate change of course.” She added that a minute later, the warship gave another five blasts on the horn, followed by four to five small arms fire.

“That wasn’t aimed at us – it was warning fire that went up in the air, we believe,” she said.

The Russian Defence Ministry’s Statement

The Russian Defence Ministry issued a statement asserting that the yacht had been on a dangerous approach towards the warship. They claimed that the crew of the Admiral Grigorovich had fired into the yacht’s path with rifles after making several attempts to contact it over the radio and after launching warning flares. The ministry stated that its sailors had acted in strict accordance with international shipping regulations.

The Couple’s Perspective

Jane Kelvey emphasized that their yacht was not on a collision course. “As far as we were concerned, it wasn’t an incident until the gunfire started,” she said. She described the gunfire as completely unnecessary and reported the incident as a hazard to navigation “because that’s what you’re supposed to do”.

The incident occurred around 20 nautical miles, approximately 23 standard miles, south of the Isle of Wight, outside of UK territorial waters. British authorities received reports from the yacht’s occupants that a Russian vessel had fired warning shots from around 500 yards (457m) away, a relatively near distance by sea travel standards.

The Role of Foggy Conditions

The BBC understands that the small, motor-less yacht had drifted towards the warship in foggy conditions after setting off from the UK. British officials believe the Admiral Grigorovich was attempting to signal that it was drifting rather than being powered by its engines, making it less manoeuvrable. This may have led the crew to assess the yacht as more vulnerable to a collision.

The Aftermath and Broader Context

A boat from HMS Tynea British patrol vessel, was sent to the yacht to gather details and check on the safety of the crew. The Ministry of Defence stated that the firing of warning shots was an isolated incident and not linked to Sunday’s tanker seizure.

Russian warships regularly pass through the Channel in international waters and are routinely monitored by Royal Navy vessels. The Admiral Grigorovich had been shadowed by the HMS Mersey for several days after being spotted off the coast of Brest, France, in what the Royal Navy described as a routine operation.

The Role of the Admiral Grigorovich

Last week, a NATO source told BBC Verify that the Admiral Grigorovich had been ordered by Moscow to escort shadow fleet vessels through the Channel. The frigate had been operating in the area for some time and had been repeatedly re-supplied by a repair vessel, the PM-82.

Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify showed the repair vessel operating between the Channel and the North Sea in recent months. NATO officials believe the PM-82 delivered food, water, and other supplies to the Admiral Grigorovichallowing it to stay at sea for extended periods and lead Russian convoys through the Channel.

Expert Insights

James Parkina former Royal Navy rear admiral, suggested that the use of armed force is a last resort, reserved only for self-defence. “I would not be surprised if it was a miscalculation, rather than a deliberate act to try and fire on a British yacht very close to British waters,” he told BBC News.

While the Ministry of Defence assessed that Tuesday’s incident was not linked to the seizure of the Russian shadow fleet tanker at the weekend, Parkin noted that the seizure had been a huge embarrassment for Moscow, given there was a Russian navy ship in the English Channel who is only there to stop this kind of thing happening.