MoD investigating reports Russian warship fired warning shots near yacht in Channel

Ministry of Defence

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investigating reports a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel.

The incident, which happened at around 11:40am BST on Tuesday between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, involved a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich.

It is understood there were no injuries or damage to the yacht.

An (MoD) spokesperson said: “We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.”

British authorities received reports from a UK-registered yacht that the Russian vessel had fired warning shots from around 500 yards (457 meters) away – a relatively near distance by the standards of sea travel.

The incident reportedly happened around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.

It comes days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel on Sunday, in the first operation of its kind carried out by the British military.

But it is understood British officials do not view this incident as being linked to Sunday’s operation.

Russian warships regularly pass through the Channel and are routinely monitored by Royal Navy vessels.

The frigate thought to be involved in Tuesday’s incident was being shadowed by the HMS Mersey, it is understood.

On Monday, the Navy said the Admiral Grigorovich was being tracked by the HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey over the weekend, in what it described as a “routine operation” after it was spotted off the coast of Brest in France.

Last week, a Nato source told BBC Verify that the Admiral Grigorovich had been ordered by Moscow to escort shadow fleet vessels through the Channel.

The frigate is understood to have been operating in the area for several months and had been repeatedly re-supplied by a repair vessel.

Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify have shown the repair vessel, the PM-82, operating between the Channel and the North Sea in recent months.

Nato officials believe the PM-82 delivered food, water and other supplies to the Admiral Grigorovich, allowing it to stay at sea for extended periods of time and lead Russian convoys though the Channel.

In April, the frigate was reported to have escorted six shadow fleet vessels through the waterway while being monitored by the Royal Navy.

While Tuesday’s incident has been viewed as an isolated incident so far by the MoD, it comes at a time of heightened tension with Russia over the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine.