A Russian warship fired warning shots in foggy weather in the English Channel to force a British civilian yacht to change course and avoid a collision, Reuters reports.
According to statements from the British Ministry of Defense and the Russian Ministry of Defense, the crew of the warship Admiral Grigorovich spotted the yacht, whose course indicated a possible collision. After repeated attempts to establish radio contact were unsuccessful, the warship fired several warning shots. The yacht then changed course and moved away from the ship.
The BBC writes that the yacht of British pensioners Jane and Alan Kelvey was about 20 nautical miles (about 37 kilometers) from the Isle of Wight on the morning of the 16th of June. The woman said that at first the ship used its horn, after which the yacht changed course by two degrees. However, the horn was also used after that, and warning shots were also fired immediately. She added that the shots were not directed at the yacht.
Previously, for example, in April, the Admiral Grigorovich escorted Russian oil tankers that crossed the English Channel.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that
the ship’s crew acted in accordance with international maritime laws on the 16th of June
and did everything necessary to prevent a collision. Two days earlier, on the 16th of June, the British military had seized a Russian Navy ship in the English Channel, marking the first time the British had conducted a self-directed operation to stop illegal oil smuggling. Britain has said the incident with the civilian yacht was not related to the seizure of a Navy ship and described it as an accidental incident.
The Admiral Grigorovich was observed by a Royal Navy ship, which also provided support to the yacht’s crew after the incident.
Meanwhile, Jane Kelvey said the warning shots were completely unnecessary and she had reported the incident as a threat to navigation, which is exactly what should have been done. British authorities said they had received information about the warning shots being fired from less than 500 meters away, which is considered a relatively close distance in sea traffic.
The BBC has learned that the small, unpowered yacht drifted towards the Admiral Grigorovich in foggy weather after leaving the UK. British officials believe the Russian warship was trying to signal that the yacht was drifting rather than using its engine and was therefore more difficult to steer, which led the warship’s crew to believe that a collision was more likely.
A NATO source told BBC Verify last week that the Admiral Grigorovich’s mission is to escort Russian shadow fleet ships through the English Channel. It is known to have been in the region for some time and is regularly resupplying to allow it to remain at sea for extended periods.
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