Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots Near British Yacht

A British pleasure boat sailing the English Channel ended up with a Russian warship firing warning shots in its direction on Tuesday, ostensibly to avoid a collision. The yacht, Bright Future, was about 20 nautical miles off the Isle of Wight when the Admiral Grigorovich frigate opened fire near its course after what Russia called repeated failed attempts to get the crew's attention, report the Telegraph and the BBC. The UK's Defense Ministry described it as an "isolated incident" linked solely to collision concerns, not to the recent Royal Marines seizure of a Russian "shadow tanker" in the channel.

However, the retired British couple aboard the yacht, said to be in their 60s, say they were about 500 yards away from the warship when the shots were fired and not on any kind of collision course, per the Telegraph. They insist they weren't warned via radio or flares and "didn't do anything wrong." No injuries or damage were reported, with a Royal Navy patrol ship later checking on the pair.

The faceoff unfolded as G7 leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, met in France. Speaking from the summit, Starmer called the incident "deeply concerning," though his own defense officials said it wasn't "anything more sinister" than a collision avoidance effort, per the AP. "That doesn't take away from the fact that clearly Russia is aggressive across Europe," Starmer noted.