A Russian warship, the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots 500 yards (457 m) from a UK‑registered motor‑less yacht drifting in fog near the Isle of Wight at 11:40 BST on Tuesday.
The incident took place 20 nm (23 mi) south of England, outside UK territorial waters. The yacht, drifting toward the frigate, had been set off from the UK and found itself in a precarious position owing to the fog.
The Ministry of Defence said: “We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.” No injury or damage was reported on the yacht.
British authorities received account from the yacht’s occupants that the Russian vessel fired the warning shots after sounding an audible warning to clear the way.
The incident follows a Royal Marine commando operation that intercepted a Russian shadow‑fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel on Sunday.
British officials regard this warning‑shot incident as a separate, isolated event, unrelated to the Sunday convoy interception. However, it still occurs amid heightened tension with Russia over the UK’s support for Ukraine.
Russian warships routinely transit the Channel and are monitored by Royal Navy vessels. Admiral Grigorovich was being shadowed by HMS Mersey and had been tracked by HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey over the weekend.
The frigate had been escorting shadow fleet vessels and was reportedly supplied by the repair vessel PM‑82, allowing the frigate to stay at sea for extended periods.
Satellite images show the PM‑82 operating between the Channel and the North Sea during recent months. NATO sources claim its supplies enabled the frigate to escort six shadow‑fleet vessels in April.
The map below illustrates the approximate location of the incident relative to the Isle of Wight and Normandy.
