UPDATED: A Russian frigate has fired warning shots in the English Channel.

UPDATED: A Russian frigate has fired warning shots in the English Channel.

This accident is reported to have occurred around 11:40 a.m., and occurred while a civilian yacht was sailing near a military ship. Admiral GrigorovichIt operates in international waters approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight.

Just days after Britain first boarded a ship claimed to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ Admiral Grigorovich It is suspected that the Russian Navy is tasked with escorting these ships as they pass near NATO countries along the route. Although it has not yet been directly involved in the boarding attempt, the frigate’s presence would undoubtedly provide a deterrent to any plans to seize the Russian-linked cargo ship.

BBC News It is understood that despite the close timing of the two incidents, the UK Government does not currently consider this new incident to be related to boarding the ferry. Smyrtos The date is June 14, 2026.

The warning shots are said to have followed the frigate’s ‘alarm sound’ about a civilian yacht, which Russia claims is a 40-foot sailing vessel. bright future. Warning shots, flares and audio warnings came only after the civilian vessel failed to change course in response to a radio call on the internationally recognized VHF frequency, according to an official statement.

Initial reports from the yacht’s occupants said the incident occurred about 500 yards from the Russian warship, but an official Russian statement said the distance was 150 meters, or 164 yards. The statement also said the yacht was using engines rather than sails at the time, which, if accurate, means the crew had more control over the boat’s speed and course. There are unconfirmed reports. sky newsThe problem is that the frigate itself suffers from technical problems and has limited maneuverability.

british navy patrol ship HMS Mercy and HMS Tyne I was already monitoring Admiral Grigorovich As part of routine operations around UK waters. A patrol boat reportedly witnessed the incident, after which Tyne dispatched a boat. bright future Ensure residents are safe and have the possibility to record their interpretation of events. There were no reports of injuries or damage aboard the yacht, and warning shots were reportedly aimed at a distance from the vessel, as is standard procedure for most military forces.

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On October 28, 2025, HMS Tyne is seen off the coast of Scotland. (Image credit: LPhot Daniel Bladen/Crown Copyright 2025)

The UK Ministry of Defense has so far made only limited comments as it continues to investigate the incident.

Updated: June 18, 2026

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the Russian warship’s actions as ‘reckless’ and ‘deeply concerning’. He is currently attending the G7 summit in Evian, France, along with world leaders including President Donald Trump, President Emmanuel Macron, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

British citizens aboard the yacht disputed the Russian version of events, claiming it was sailing and not using engine power when the warning shots were fired. Seagoing vessels are given priority over powered vessels due to their unpredictable maneuverability.

After hearing the ship’s horn five times, Jane and Alan Kelvey, aboard the yacht, began a two-degree turn to starboard in acknowledgment. About a minute later the horn honked louder, followed by gunshots. Many commentators have since noted that from the perspective of a Russian ship, a small turn of 2 degrees would not be immediately noticeable as a change in course. The rules state that any course change to avoid a collision must be “large enough to be easily recognized.”

The warning shot, the couple said, was aimed skyward, activated the yacht’s engines and prompted the warship to turn 90 degrees. The couple claim they never received any contact by radio, but this could simply mean they were not monitoring the frequencies used by the Russian vessel.

After an investigation, the UK’s Ministry of Defense assessed the shooting as “an independent incident and unrelated to the UK’s interception of Smyrtos this weekend.” The shooting “was not aimed at the vessel and was an attempt to prevent a possible collision”.

Admiral Grigorovich

Project 11356R frigate, leading ship of its class; Admiral Grigorovich It was commissioned into the Russian Navy in March 2016. The 4000-ton vessel is nominally assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. Admiral Grigorovich It has not returned to the Black Sea since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. As a result, the ship has become a frequent sight for tracking NATO ships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

The ship is well-armed for its size, boasting a 100 mm AK-190 main gun, 24 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells for anti-aircraft missiles, 8 VLS cells for cruise missiles, 2 AK-630 close-in weapon systems (CIWS), and the unique RBU-6000 Smerch-2 anti-submarine rocker launcher.

India operates two ships of this class together with Russia. The turbine was originally built for Russia, but since 2014 Ukraine no longer supplies the gas turbines to power it. Russian-built alternatives were evaluated, but two of the three incomplete ships were eventually sold to India. India was able to acquire Ukrainian gas turbines, which were then supplied to Russian shipyards for installation on ships.

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