“No injuries or damage have been reported by the yacht, which is continuing its journey,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said, as officials opened an investigation into a reported firing incident in the English Channel.
Ministry of Defence investigating reported warning shots
The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed it is investigating reports that a Russian Navy warship fired warning shots at a British-registered yacht in the English Channel. A ministry spokesperson told TWZ the probe is at an early stage and that investigators “cannot provide further comment while investigations are ongoing.” The initial report, according to the ministry, came from the yacht’s crew.
When and where the encounter was reported to have happened
The incident was reported at roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast, and outside British territorial waters. The Press Association gave a time of about 11:40 a.m. local time, placing the event in waters between the Isle of Wight and Normandy. The yacht’s crew alleged that warning shots were fired at a distance of about 500 yards.
Royal Navy presence: HMS Mersey, HMS Tyne and on-scene checks
The Ministry of Defence said the Royal Navy was already shadowing the Russian vessel when the alleged firing occurred. HMS Mersey “was monitoring the Russian vessel at the time,” the ministry said. A seaboat from HMS Tyne visited the yacht to gather details and check the safety of those aboard. Both HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne are River class offshore patrol vessels, commonly used to shadow Russian and other warships passing through the Channel, which the ministry described as “the busiest shipping area in the world.”
Unconfirmed identification: Admiral Grigorovich named in reports
Unconfirmed reports named the Russian ship involved as the Admiral Grigorovich, the lead ship of its class and identified in the source material by name. The Admiral Grigorovich appears in imagery accompanying the reporting and was previously seen during an earlier encounter in the English Channel with Royal Navy vessels, according to the same reporting. The ministry, however, did not formally confirm the identity of the Russian vessel involved in today’s reported incident.
Relation to the Smyrtos boarding operation
The Ministry of Defence sought to distance today’s incident from a recent maritime security operation in the Channel in which British forces boarded the tanker Smyrtos (IMO: 9389100). That boarding, which the ministry said took place last Sunday, involved Royal Marine Commandos from 42 Commando and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency and was described as the first U.K.-led operation of its kind. The six-hour operation included Chinook, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the frigate HMS Sutherland and the mine countermeasures vessel HMS Ledbury. The Smyrtos was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag and is sanctioned, the report says.
What this means for the yacht crew, the Royal Navy, and Channel mariners
- Yacht crew: The ministry’s statement that “no injuries or damage have been reported” and that the yacht “is continuing its journey” indicates the immediate safety of those aboard, while investigators collect eyewitness details from the seaboat visit by HMS Tyne.
- Royal Navy: With HMS Mersey monitoring the Russian vessel at the time, the Royal Navy moved to document the report and to conduct an on-scene safety check. The ministry’s investigation and the presence of River class patrol vessels underscore ongoing routine monitoring in the Channel.
- Regional mariners and authorities: The reported firing, the ministry’s investigation, and the recent Smyrtos boarding operation together represent heightened maritime activity and enforcement in the area; commercial and leisure traffic in the busy Channel will remain attentive to official advisories and naval movements.
The Ministry of Defence investigation will determine whether warning shots were fired, which vessel was involved, and what precipitated any action. For now, the publicly available facts are limited to the yacht crew’s report, the ministry’s confirmation of an active inquiry, the Royal Navy’s monitoring role, and unconfirmed reporting that the Admiral Grigorovich was involved. The story remains fluid; officials have said they will not provide further comment while investigations continue.
Original story: https://www.twz.com/sea/u-k-mod-investigating-reports-of-russian-warship-firing-warning-shots-in-english-channel
