Russian warship fires warning shots near British yacht in the English Channel

On Tuesday, June 16, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots in the English Channel, approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight in international waters. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that the frigate opened fire after the UK-flagged yacht allegedly ignored radio warnings, signals, and flares, maintaining a dangerous course that approached the warship. In contrast, the couple onboard the yacht disputed the Russian account, stating they were not on a collision course and performed a deliberate maneuver to acknowledge the warship's presence before shots were fired. The British Ministry of Defence confirmed they are investigating the incident, which resulted in no injuries or damage to either vessel. UK officials treated the event as an isolated occurrence and stated it is unrelated to the British commando interception of a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker that took place on the previous Sunday. The incident occurred as G7 leaders met in Evian, France, to discuss increased pressure on Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. British sources noted that the Russian frigate appeared to be sailing without active propulsion at the time of the encounter.