Defence chiefs were probing a high-seas drama in which a Russian warship fired 'warning shots' close to a UK yacht, off UK waters. It may have been the most direct maritime confrontation between the Russian military and a UK vessel in recent memory - although it has been played down by the military. The Channel near-miss happened as sailors aboard heavily-armed Kremlin frigate Admiral Grigorovitch fired at the sailing vessel between the Isle of Wight and Normandy.
UK defence sources said it was not yet known if the Grigorovich fired actual rounds or flares but it was clearly a 'warning' to the crew of the 40ft leisure yacht. The incident or near-miss happened 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside of UK waters and in international or French territory.
Context of the Incident
It comes in the wake of the storming of and seizure of one of the Kremlin's shadow fleet vessel the Smytros, which is suspected of smuggling sanctions-busting oil. A senior source told the Daily Mirror last night: 'This is not thought to be related to the Smyrtos incident and the vessels were sailing in very foggy conditions. It is possible the UK vessel sailed too close to the Russian vessel and the Grigorovich sounded an alarm to try and get their attention. It is also possible it was firing warning shots to avoid a collision, or it might have been flares or possibly even rounds from a gun.'
Investigation Underway
The crews of two British warships, patrol boat HMS Mersey and patrol boat HMS Tyne are investigating the incident after the UK crew reported it to the authorities. Admiral Grigorovitch has cruise missile-firing capability and is armed with a large variety of potent weapons, including a 3.9ins naval gun. It also played a crucial role for the Kremlin throughout the war in Syria, in support of the now toppled Assad regime and it is part of Vladimir Putin's Black Sea Fleet.
Sailors on board the British yacht contacted French authorities, alleging that the Russian Navy vessel fired shots at a distance of 500 yards. Royal Navy sources said both patrol vessels were shadowing the Kremlin frigate west of Brest at the time of the tanker seizure that took place 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight on Sunday night. They were also close by at the time of the incident involving the yacht, according to sources. It happened on Tuesday mid-morning, following the Sunday morning seizure of a Russian 'shadow fleet' vessel by UK elite Royal Marines from 42 Commando.
Official Response
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.' Defence sources confirmed reports were received from a UK-registered yacht alleging that the Russian Navy vessel fired warning shots nearby at a distance of approximately 500 yards. There were no injuries or damage reported by the yacht, which is continuing its journey. A seaboat from HMS Tyne has been sent to the yacht to check everyone was safe.
