A Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK registered yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday morning and the whole thing could have ended very differently.
The incident unfolded between the Isle of Wight and Normandy in foggy conditions that reduced visibility to almost nothing.
You May Like
The yacht was small and had no motor and it had drifted towards the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich after setting off from the UK.
The Russian vessel sounded an audible warning first to get the yacht to move out of its path.
When that did not work the frigate opened fire with warning shots from around 500 yards away.
That is a relatively close distance by sea travel standards and it must have been terrifying for those on board the yacht.
Â
No injuries or damage have been reported and that is the only reason this is not a much bigger story right now.
The yacht occupants reported the incident to British authorities and the Ministry of Defence confirmed it is investigating.
The incident took place roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight which places it outside UK territorial waters.
The Admiral Grigorovich was being shadowed by the HMS Mersey at the time.
The Royal Navy had already been tracking the frigate over the weekend alongside the HMS Tyne after it was spotted off the coast of Brest in France.
Â
This comes just days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel on Sunday.
That was the first operation of its kind by the British military and it made headlines around the world.
British officials are not linking the two events however and they are treating Tuesday warning shots as an isolated incident.
Russian warships pass through the Channel regularly and the Royal Navy monitors them every time.
It is a tense routine but a routine nonetheless.
Â
The Admiral Grigorovich has been operating in the area for some time.
NATO sources told BBC Verify last week that Moscow had ordered the frigate to escort shadow fleet vessels through the Channel.
Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify showed a repair vessel called the PM-82 resupplying the frigate repeatedly in recent months.
NATO officials believe the PM-82 delivered food, water and other supplies so the warship could stay at sea for extended periods and lead Russian convoys through the waterway.
In April the frigate reportedly escorted six shadow fleet vessels through the Channel while being watched by the Royal Navy.
Â
The foggy conditions likely explain why the yacht drifted so close in the first place.
A motorless small boat in low visibility is a difficult thing to spot on radar and the Russian crew probably had seconds to react.
Still firing warning shots at a civilian yacht with no means of moving quickly is a decision that will be scrutinised heavily.
The MoD investigation will determine whether the Russian response was proportionate or unnecessarily aggressive.
It comes at a time when tensions with Russia are already sky high over the UK ongoing support for Ukraine.
Every encounter in the Channel now carries weight that it would not have carried a few years ago.
Place Your Ads Here
Reach users who follow international and global news. Ideal for international brands, global campaigns, and foreign products.
Place Your Ads Here
Reach users who follow international and global news. Ideal for international brands, global campaigns, and foreign products.
Place Your Ads Here
Reach users who follow international and global news. Ideal for international brands, global campaigns, and foreign products.
