Britain’s Defence Ministry has launched an urgent investigation after reports that a Russian frigate fired warning shots toward a British-registered yacht in the English Channel. The incident was said to have happened on Tuesday at about 11:40 a.m. UK time, roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight. No injuries or damage were reported, and officials in London said the case is under a deep security review.
The warship involved was identified as the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich. It was being closely monitored by the Royal Navy at the time, with HMS Mersey escorting it as part of what the navy described as routine tracking of Russian vessels passing through the Channel. The Royal Navy said HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey had also followed the frigate over the weekend, indicating a continued Russian military presence in the area.
The episode comes days after a separate escalation on Sunday, when Royal Marines carried out a first-of-its-kind seizure of a tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet carrying oil under sanctions. London said there is, for now, no assessment linking that operation to Tuesday’s warning shots. The reported firing took place outside British territorial waters, which makes the diplomatic handling more complicated, but officials said it does not lessen the security concern.
The Royal Navy is expected to keep the Russian frigate under close watch while the Defence Ministry examines the circumstances of the firing. British officials are also expected to seek formal explanations from Moscow over what they described as a dangerous action near a British vessel.
