russia's Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the crew of the Admiral Grigorovich frigate fired warning shots in the direction of the British-flagged Bright Future yacht during an incident in the English Channel on June 16, claiming the civilian vessel was on a dangerous course toward the warship.
According to the кussian military, the encounter occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time while the frigate was transiting the channel. Russian officials stated that the yacht, operating under engine power, was approaching the warship and allegedly failed to respond to repeated radio calls made on international maritime frequencies.
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The ministry said the frigate's crew attempted several measures to attract the yacht's attention, including radio communications, sound signals, and the launch of signal flares. Moscow claims the vessel neither altered course nor responded to requests from the warship as the distance between the two vessels continued to decrease.
Russian officials reported that when the separation narrowed to approximately 150 meters, the frigate's commander ordered warning shots to be fired ahead of the yacht using small arms. According to the ministry, the yacht immediately changed course after the shots were fired and moved away from russian vessel.
Moscow maintains that the crew of the Admiral Grigorovich frigate acted in accordance with international maritime regulations and took all necessary steps to prevent a collision. Russian authorities described the use of warning fire as a last resort after other attempts to establish communication allegedly failed.
The incident reportedly took place outside British territorial waters, one of the world's busiest maritime routes. The English Channel regularly sees heavy commercial and civilian traffic, making close encounters between military and civilian vessels particularly sensitive from a navigational and diplomatic standpoint.
British media reports also noted that warning shots were fired during the encounter. No injuries or damage have been reported, and there has been no indication that the yacht was intentionally attempting to interfere with the russian warship's passage.
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