(Adnkronos) – Warning shots fired by the Russian frigate ‘Admiral Grigorovich’ reportedly exploded less than 500 meters from a British yacht sailing in the English Channel, about 30 kilometers south of the Isle of Wight. This was reported by the British Ministry of Defence, which has launched an investigation. According to The Guardian, the vessel sustained no damage and no crew members were injured. The yacht continued its journey, while a unit from the Royal Navy patrol ship ‘HMS Tyne’ reached the yacht to collect testimonies about the incident and check the crew’s condition.
“We are working to ascertain the facts relating to an incident in the English Channel,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said. British defence sources, however, specified that the episode is currently considered an isolated case and would not be linked to other recent operations conducted by the United Kingdom against Russian interests.
The incident occurred a few days after the seizure, off the Isle of Wight, of the Smyrtos oil tanker, linked to Russia and hit by Western sanctions. This was the first operation led directly by British forces against a sanctioned vessel since the start of the war in Ukraine.
