Russian warship fired at a yacht in the English Channel

(Patria) - Sources close to the Ministry of Defence in London have confirmed that a Russian warship fired a warning shot at a vessel in the English Channel. It is believed to be the first confirmed case of a Russian warship firing a warning shot in the English Channel, reports The Telegraph.

It is stated that the ship that opened fire was the frigate “Admiral Grigorovich”. This warship regularly passes through the Channel, providing protection to Russian tankers that are under sanctions.

The incident occurred just a few days after Royal Marines commandos seized the tanker “Smyrtos”, a Russian ship believed to be part of Vladimir Putin’s “shadow fleet”, which illegally transports oil under international sanctions.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.”

The report came from a yacht registered in the United Kingdom, which claims that a Russian navy ship fired warning shots in its vicinity, at a distance of approximately 500 yards. The incident is believed to have occurred about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside the territorial waters of the United Kingdom.

No injuries or material damage were reported from the yacht, and the vessel continues its journey. At the time of the incident, the Russian ship was under surveillance by the patrol vessel HMS Mersey.

A boat from the HMS Tyne visited the yacht to gather details of the event and check that the crew members were safe.