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