A British couple have described the “surreal” moment a Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht in the English Channel, as UK authorities investigate the incident.

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Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing aboard the UK-registered yacht Bright Future about 23 miles south of the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning when they encountered the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.

Couple Describe Warning Fire

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Jane Kelvey said the warship first sounded its horn with five short blasts, a maritime signal used to attract attention and indicate uncertainty over another vessel’s intentions.

The couple responded by altering course slightly to port to show they had seen the frigate. According to Jane, another series of horn blasts followed about a minute later, immediately accompanied by several rounds of small-arms fire.

She said the shots appeared to be warning fire directed into the air rather than at the yacht itself.

Jane insisted the vessel was not on a collision course with the Russian warship and said the situation only became concerning once the gunfire began.

Alan Kelvey described the use of warning shots as unnecessary. Shortly afterwards, a team from the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tyne arrived to check on the couple’s welfare and gather details about the encounter.

Conflicting Accounts

The Russian Defence Ministry said the yacht had been making a “dangerous approach” toward the frigate. It stated that the crew attempted to establish radio contact, launched warning flares and eventually fired rifles into the yacht’s path in accordance with international maritime regulations.

The Kelveys disputed parts of that account.

British officials believe the yacht, which has no engine, may have drifted toward the frigate in foggy conditions after departing the UK. The assessment is that the Russian crew may have concluded the vessel was less manoeuvrable and at greater risk of collision.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the warning shots were not aimed at the yacht and were intended to prevent a possible collision after attempts to communicate with the vessel.

Russian Naval Activity in the Channel

The incident occurred outside UK territorial waters and has been described by the Ministry of Defence as an isolated event unrelated to the recent interception of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Channel.

Russian naval vessels regularly transit the waterway and are routinely monitored by the Royal Navy. The Admiral Grigorovich was being shadowed by the patrol vessel HMS Mersey as part of a routine operation.

According to NATO sources cited by BBC Verify last week, Moscow had tasked the frigate with escorting shadow fleet vessels through the Channel. The ship has reportedly remained at sea for extended periods with support from the repair vessel PM-82.

Satellite imagery reviewed by BBC Verify showed the support vessel operating between the Channel and the North Sea in recent months.

Expert: Likely a Miscalculation

Former Royal Navy rear admiral James Parkin said the use of armed force at sea is normally a last resort and generally reserved for self-defence.

He suggested the episode was more likely the result of a misjudgment than a deliberate attempt to target a British yacht near UK waters.

Although British officials do not believe the incident was linked to the seizure of a shadow fleet tanker days earlier, Parkin noted that operation had been an embarrassment for Moscow, given the presence of a Russian naval vessel in the area.

The encounter comes amid heightened tensions between the UK and Russia and has drawn added attention against a backdrop of growing concern among British officials about increasingly assertive Russian activity.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 17 June 2026

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

Former Royal Navy rear admiral James Parkin said the use of armed force at sea is normally a last resort and generally reserved for self-defence.

Except when it's the US Department of War that will attack, sink and kill any survivors in international waters without mercy.

A frigate afraid of a big, bad old sailboat?!? Why are they sailing the British coast anyway?

sounds like the Russians weren't adhering to maritime conventions.

Firstly, "steam gives way to sail. "

the yacht changed course to reply to there 5 horn blasts, and of course sailing could be tacking

However, if the Russian ship was "drifting", were they flying the right mast signals – two black balls in a vertical line during the day. At night, she displays two all-round red lights in a vertical line. I suspect they didn't understand basic sailing techniques

56 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

A frigate afraid of a big, bad old sailboat?!? Why are they sailing the British coast anyway?

56 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Why are they sailing the British coast anyway

They were in international waters. It's not the Strait of Hormuz

7 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

A frigate afraid of a big, bad old sailboat?!? Why are they sailing the British coast anyway?

The Russians weren't "sailing the British coast" they were in International waters and these days are a fairly permanent or at least regular station for them ostensively to protect the Russian shadow fleet (like the oil tanker the Royals recently intercepted & detained).

The Russian captain done everything right it was the British yacht that was at fault.

The Russians gave 5 blasts on it's ships horn twice it means "I do not understand your intentions" or "Your actions are unsafe.

Basically the Captain is asking the yacht to immediately clarify its course and take evasive action to prevent a collision.

They also tried to contact the yacht by radio on channel 16 & 13 something denied by the yacht skipper yet it was logged by the UK coastguard.

As a last resort the Russians used small arms fire to get the attention of the yacht they did not fire at it.

The yacht skipper is 100% at fault.

Just to put things in perspective most of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea were sunk by small boats then there was the USS Cole that was attacked in Yemen by al-Qaeda suicide bombers by a small boat loaded with explosives killed 17 sailors and injured 39 other. There was a hole 40ft x 60ft in the hull right on the waterline it's very lucky and thanks to its crew it didn't sink.

If it was a US frigate and not Russian they would quite possibly have sunk it.

As I have no doubt any small boat approaching a US ship (or Royal Navy) in the Middle East right now and ignoring warnings would be.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

British couple have described the “surreal” moment a Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht

Those pesky Poms.

4 hours ago, Bannoi said:

Basically the Captain is asking the yacht to immediately clarify its course and take evasive action to prevent a collision.

Which they did – they clearly altered course, which showed they were aware... Have you even sailed across the English Channel? If so, you'd know how yachtsmen respond to signals from large ships – the Russians didn't appear to understand basic shipping language, which, if sailing down the Straits of Dover, they should be familiar with. Also, firearms are not an appropriate response. If they were on deck, they might not have been able to hear or use the radio, but a clear change in direction after the 5 blasts is (they did that twice) in fact sufficient.

Also, it appears the Russian ship was either not under way or had lost way.... I think they were actually getting panicky about whatever they were up to in such a crowded shipping lane