Russian frigate fires warning shots near British yacht in the Channel, 23 miles off Isle of Wight

What happened

A Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots in the direction of a British-flagged private yacht named Bright Future in the English Channel on Tuesday 16 June at approximately 11:40 a.m. The incident occurred more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight and less than 40 miles north of Normandy, France, in international waters.

The yacht, a 40-foot vessel carrying a retired British couple, Jane and Alan Kelvey, had been drifting in foggy conditions without engine power, according to British sources cited by the BBC. The Russian Ministry of Defence stated the yacht was on a “dangerous course” and that repeated attempts to communicate via international radio frequency went unanswered.

The crew of the frigate made several attempts to communicate with the civilian vessel via international radio frequency. There was no change in the vessel’s course nor any response to the requests.

The sequence of warnings

Accounts from both sides describe a graduated escalation. The Russian frigate first sounded five horn blasts, a standard maritime signal meaning “have you seen us?” according to Jane Kelvey’s account to BBC Newsnight. The yacht altered course slightly to starboard to demonstrate it had registered the warship’s presence.

When the yacht continued to close the distance, the Russian crew launched signal flares and additional audible warnings. According to Moscow, the distance narrowed to 150 metres before the frigate’s commander authorised warning shots from light weaponry. The UK Ministry of Defence assessed the shots were single rounds from small arms, not automatic fire, and were not aimed at the vessel itself.

It was a bit scary and certainly unusual, but we didn’t feel in immediate danger.

Competing narratives

The Russian Ministry of Defence insisted its crew acted “in strict compliance with international maritime regulations” and took all necessary measures to prevent a collision. The UK Ministry of Defence, while investigating, characterised the incident as isolated and unconnected to the weekend seizure of the Russian shadow-fleet tanker Smyrtos.

British sources offered a different interpretation: the Admiral Grigorovich may have been drifting without propulsion, making it less manoeuvrable and potentially more sensitive to approaching vessels. The Kelvey couple disputed Moscow’s version, stating they were never on a collision course and that no radio communication attempt was made.

The wider context

The incident comes two days after British armed forces boarded and seized a sanctioned Russian tanker in the Channel, part of what Western governments call Moscow’s “shadow fleet” used to evade oil sanctions. The Admiral Grigorovich has been deployed near British waters, escorting shadow-fleet vessels through the Channel and North Sea.

HMS Mersey was already tracking the Russian frigate at the time of the incident. HMS Tyne dispatched a boarding party to check on the yacht’s crew after they contacted His Majesty’s Coastguard. No injuries or damage were reported, and the Bright Future continued its journey.

Official responses

The UK Ministry of Defence stated: “After attempts to communicate with a British vessel in the Channel, the Grigorovich fired warning shots. The shots were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to avert a potential collision.” A defence spokesperson added that the incident is assessed as isolated and not linked to the Smyrtos interception.

Russia’s defence ministry released a detailed timeline, claiming the yacht’s crew ignored radio calls, signal flares, and horn blasts before the distance closed to 150 metres, at which point the commander ordered preventive fire. The yacht then changed course and moved away.

We assess this as an isolated incident and not connected to the UK’s interception of the Smyrtos over the weekend.