A British couple on their yacht faced warning shots from a Russian warship in the English Channel and have accused the Ministry of Defence of trying to suppress their account of the incident. Jane Kelvey, 68, and Alan Kelvey, 70, were aboard their 40ft British-flagged yacht, Bright Future, when sailors on the frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots near them around 11:40 am on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the shots were meant as a cautionary measure after the yacht approached too close to the frigate. The MoD stated that the warship’s crew tried to contact the Kelveys via radio. Prime Minister expressed the incident as “reckless” but not “sinister.”
Disputing the MoD’s account, Mr. Kelvey claimed that they did not receive any radio communication from the warship. He refuted the claim that flares were used due to poor visibility, insisting that both vessels had clear visibility of each other.
The couple had departed from Lymington, Hampshire, heading to Cherbourg in France when the shots were fired about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.
The Russian Defence Ministry asserted that the yacht was on a “dangerous course” and mentioned that the Admiral Grigorovich attempted to contact it using flares and sound signals before resorting to warning shots, as per shipping regulations.
This incident comes amidst escalating tensions between Britain and Russia following the apprehension of the shadow fleet oil tanker Smyrtos. The Admiral Grigorovich, known for escorting sanctioned vessels through the Channel, was under surveillance by the patrol ship HMS Mersey during the encounter.
During the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Sir Keir Starmer expressed that the incident was regrettable. He acknowledged the MoD’s assessment that it was a drifting warship rather than a deliberate act.
In response to the couple’s allegation of a cover-up by the MoD, a Downing Street spokeswoman characterized the incident as an “isolated event” and reiterated the UK’s stance against Russian aggression when necessary.