A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a British yacht that came close to it in the English Channel, it is understood.

The incident happened at around 11.40am on Tuesday in waters between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, the Press Association reports. It is understood to have involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich and a UK-registered yacht, which is believed to be a civilian vessel.

Those on board the British yacht contacted French authorities, alleging that the Russian Navy vessel fired warning shots at a distance of around 500 yards.

The shots were fired around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters. British and French vessels are reportedly mobilising in response.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: “We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel.”

No injuries or damage have been reported by the yacht, which is understood to be continuing its journey.

The MoD said the Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Mersey was monitoring the Russian frigate at the time of the incident. Russian warships passing through the English Channel are routinely shadowed by the Royal Navy.

A seaboat from HMS Tyne, another patrol vessel, was sent to the yacht to gather details and check on the safety of the crew.

It comes amid rising tensions between the UK and Russia. In a separate operation on Sunday, Royal Marine commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) boarded the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos in the Channel.

The MoD said it is not treating Tuesday’s incident as linked to the UK’s interception of the MV Smyrtos.

The seizure of the vessel was the first such action by British forces, although the UK had previously helped allies targeting sanctioned tankers.

The captain of the tanker, which was carrying 98,000 tonnes of oil, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with breaching sanctions.

Ajay Pant has been charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country in June 2026, in contravention of Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

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