British Couple's Account of English Channel Incident
A British retired couple has shared their account of a 'surreal' incident in the English Channel where a Russian warship reportedly fired warning shots near their yacht. Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing approximately 23 miles off the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning when they encountered the Russian frigate, Admiral Grigorovich.
According to Jane Kelvey, the warship initially sounded its horn five times. In response, they adjusted their yacht's course by two degrees to port to signal they had seen the vessel. A minute later, the warship sounded its horn five more times, immediately followed by four to five small arms fire. Jane stated, "That wasn't aimed at us - it was warning fire that went up in the air, we believe." She maintained that their yacht, named Bright Future, was "definitely not on a collision course" and that the situation only escalated when the gunfire began. Alan Kelvey described the gunfire as "unnecessary." A Royal Navy vessel reportedly arrived shortly after to check on their well-being.
Conflicting Narratives and Ongoing Investigations
The couple's account differs from that of the Russian Defence Ministry, which claimed the yacht was making a "dangerous approach" towards the warship. The Russian ministry stated its crew fired into the yacht's path with rifles after multiple attempts to contact it via radio and after deploying warning flares, asserting their actions were in "strict accordance with international shipping regulations." The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is currently investigating the incident.
British officials understand that the small, motor-less yacht had drifted towards the warship in foggy conditions after departing from the UK. The MoD believes the Admiral Grigorovich was attempting to signal its drifting status, making it less maneuverable and possibly leading its crew to assess a higher risk of collision. An MoD spokesperson confirmed, "Following attempts to contact a British vessel in the channel, the Grigorovich fired warning shots. These were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to prevent a possible collision." HMS Tyne, a British patrol vessel, dispatched a boat to the yacht to gather information and ensure the crew's safety.
Context of Heightened Tensions
This incident occurred days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel, marking the first such operation by the British military. Russian warships routinely traverse international waters in the Channel and are typically monitored by Royal Navy vessels.
The Admiral Grigorovich had been shadowed by HMS Mersey for several days as part of a "routine operation" after being sighted off Brest, France. British authorities received reports from the yacht's occupants that the Russian vessel fired warning shots from approximately 500 yards (457 meters) away. The incident took place about 20 nautical miles (23 standard miles) south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.
A NATO source indicated last week that the Admiral Grigorovich had been tasked by Moscow to escort shadow fleet vessels through the Channel. The frigate is believed to have been operating in the area for some time, receiving supplies from a repair vessel, the PM-82, which satellite imagery shows operating between the Channel and the North Sea. NATO officials suggest the PM-82 enabled the frigate to remain at sea for extended periods to lead Russian convoys.
James Parkin, a former Royal Navy rear admiral, commented that the use of armed force is a last resort, reserved for self-defense. He suggested it might have been a "miscalculation, rather than a deliberate act to try and fire on a British yacht very close to British waters." While the MoD has not linked this incident to the earlier tanker seizure, Parkin noted that the seizure was a "huge embarrassment" for Moscow, especially with a Russian naval ship present in the Channel to prevent such occurrences. This relatively minor event has gained significant attention amid elevated tensions between the UK and Russia, coinciding with departing UK defense ministers raising concerns about Russia's increasingly aggressive behavior.
Source: 'It was surreal': British couple describe having warning shots fired near them by Russian warship
