A British retired couple have described a “surreal” experience after a Russian warship fired warning shots while their yacht drifted near the vessel in the English Channel.
Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing aboard their yacht, Bright Future, about 23 miles off the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning when they encountered the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.
According to the couple, the warship first sounded its horn several times to attract their attention before firing warning shots moments later.
Speaking about the incident, Jane Kelvey said the Russian vessel initially sounded five blasts on its horn, a maritime signal asking whether another vessel has seen it.
“We immediately altered our course slightly so they could see we had noticed them,” she explained. “Then, about a minute later, they sounded the horn again and shortly afterwards fired several rounds of small-arms fire.
”She stressed that the shots were not directed at the yacht itself. “That wasn’t aimed at us. It appeared to be warning fire fired into the air,” she said.The couple insisted their yacht was not on a collision course with the Russian vessel and said the situation only became alarming once the gunfire began.
Alan Kelvey described the use of warning shots as unnecessary, adding that the experience was both unexpected and unsettling. The Russian Ministry of Defence later claimed the yacht had been making a “dangerous approach” towards the frigate and said its crew had attempted to establish radio contact before firing warning shots and launching flares.
Russian officials maintained that the vessel’s crew acted in accordance with international maritime regulations. However, the couple disputed that account, insisting they were not heading directly toward the warship. British defence officials offered a different explanation, suggesting the yacht, which was sailing without an engine, may have drifted closer to the Russian vessel in foggy conditions.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the warning shots were fired in an attempt to prevent a possible collision rather than as a hostile act. “The shots were not aimed at the vessel and were intended to signal concern about a potential collision risk,” a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said.
A boat from the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tyne was subsequently dispatched to the scene to check on the welfare of the yacht’s crew and gather details about the incident.The Ministry of Defence described the encounter as an isolated maritime incident and said it was not linked to the recent interception of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel.
The unusual confrontation has prompted an investigation by British authorities as questions remain over the circumstances that led to the warning shots being fired.
