A Russian frigate fired warning shots near a British yacht in the English Channel
British couple Jane and Alan Kelvey have spoken about an incident involving the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich, which took place on Tuesday morning approximately 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight in La, the BBC reports.
According to Jane Kelvey, the warship sounded five blasts, signalling a request for visual contact. Following this, the crew of the yacht Bright Future altered their course by two degrees to indicate that they had spotted the frigate.
She said that shortly after the repeated sound signals, four or five shots were fired from a small arms weapon. She noted that the shots were not aimed at the yacht and, in her opinion, were intended as a warning.
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the yacht had made a “dangerous approach” to the frigate. They also claim that the crew of the warship attempted to contact the yacht by radio and used signal flares, and that the sailors’ actions complied with international maritime regulations.
The UK Ministry of Defence reported that, following attempts to establish contact with the British vessel, the frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots. According to the British side, the shots were not aimed at the yacht and were intended to prevent a possible collision.
Jane Kelvey emphasised that the yacht was not on a collision course with the Russian vessel. She described the firing as ‘entirely unnecessary’ and reported the incident as a threat to the safety of navigation.
The incident took place approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters. The British authorities received a report from the yacht’s crew stating that warning shots had been fired from a distance of around 500 yards.
According to British officials, a small, unpowered yacht was drifting in foggy conditions after leaving the British coast. It is believed that the crew of the Russian vessel may have assessed it as a less manoeuvrable craft and feared the risk of a collision.
A boat from the patrol vessel HMS Tyne was sent to the yacht to assess the circumstances and the condition of the crew.
The UK Ministry of Defence described the incident involving warning shots as an isolated incident and stated that it was not linked to the detention of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel a few days earlier.
The frigate Admiral Grigorovich was under observation at the time by the Royal Navy vessel HMS Mersey. According to the Royal Navy, this was part of a standard operation to monitor a Russian warship in international waters.
Earlier, a NATO source reported that the Admiral Grigorovich had been tasked with escorting vessels of the Russian shadow fleet across the English Channel. According to the Alliance’s assessment, the ship had been in the area for some time and was receiving support from the auxiliary vessel PM-82.
Former Royal Navy Rear Admiral James Parkin stated that the use of weapons at sea is a last resort and is employed solely for self-defence. In his view, the incident may have been the result of a miscalculation rather than deliberate action against the British yacht.
