Russian frigate opens fire near British yacht in English Channel – media

An unusual incident involving a Russian warship and a British civilian yacht has occurred in the English Channel. According to British media, the Russian frigate opened warning fire when the vessels came close.

This is reported by The Telegraph, citing data from the Coast Guard and its own sources.

The incident was reported by the crew of a British-flagged yacht. According to the sailors, warning shots were fired from the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich as the distance between the ships decreased.

The publication notes that this ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been near British waters for several weeks. According to journalists, it has been escorting Russian oil tankers and demonstratively cruising near the coast of Suffolk.

During the passage through the English Channel, the Russian frigate was under constant surveillance by the British patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne.

The Telegraph’s interlocutors suggest that the crew’s aggressive behavior could be related to events a few days earlier, namely the operation by British security forces against the Russian tanker Smyrtos.

According to the publication, on the night of June 14, British marines took control of the vessel on the orders of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The tanker is currently under arrest off the coast of England, and part of the crew is being investigated for possible violation of international sanctions.

If this information is officially confirmed, the incident could become one of the most high-profile cases of direct confrontation between the Russian military and a civilian vessel of a NATO member country since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.