Britain Reports Russian Warship Fired Warning Shots at Civilian Yacht in the Channel

British media reported Friday afternoon that a Russian navy vessel fired warning shots at a privately owned civilian yacht in the English Channel. The incident came amid sharply rising tensions between London and Moscow.

The report followed a British operation two days earlier in which commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency seized the tanker Smyrtos, a ship linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. That fleet is used to sell oil in violation of sanctions and help finance the war in Ukraine. The six-hour operation involved helicopters and Royal Navy ships, and ended with the arrest and charging of the ship’s captain, a 38-year-old Indian citizen.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the tanker raid, calling it “another blow to Russia,” and said Britain would not allow people aiding Putin’s war effort to operate in secret. He also announced additional sanctions on Russia.

Despite the close timing of the two events, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said there was no operational link between the navy raid on the tanker and the warning shots fired at the yacht.