Credited from: BBC
On June 16, a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots at a UK-registered yacht that had drifted towards it in foggy conditions in the English Channel. The incident took place around 11:40 am BST, approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters. A source familiar with the incident indicated that the yacht was about 500 yards away when the shots were fired, although there were no reported injuries or damage, according to Reuters, BBC, South China Morning Post, and India Times.
The UK's Ministry of Defence confirmed it is investigating the incident, stating, "We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel." The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Mersey was reportedly shadowing the Admiral Grigorovich at the time of the incident. This episode follows a recent operation by British forces that boarded a Russian oil tanker involved in circumventing sanctions, which underscores escalating tensions in the region, as detailed by Le Monde and India Times.
The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the incident. British authorities have previously expressed their readiness to respond to any incursions by Russian vessels, reflecting ongoing tensions between Russia and the UK amid the broader conflict related to Ukraine, according to South China Morning Post and BBC.