A British couple sailing their yacht in the English Channel had a tense encounter with a Russian warship that involved warning shots being fired. The couple, Jane Kelvey, 68, and Alan Kelvey, 70, were aboard their 40ft British-flagged yacht, Bright Future, when the incident occurred on Tuesday morning. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the shots were fired as a warning because the yacht had approached too close to the warship, and attempts were made to communicate with the Kelveys via radio.
However, Mr. Kelvey disputed the MoD’s account, stating that they did not receive any communication attempts on their radio. He expressed frustration, claiming that the MoD was now trying to downplay the incident by suggesting it was due to poor visibility and the firing of flares, which he and his wife did not witness.
The couple’s journey had started earlier that day from Lymington, Hampshire, heading towards Cherbourg in France. The Russian Defence Ministry contended that the yacht had taken a hazardous route and that the warship had made efforts to warn them using flares and sound signals before resorting to firing warning shots as per maritime regulations.
This incident occurred amidst escalating tensions between the UK and Russia following the recent seizure of a Russian oil tanker. The Admiral Grigorovich, the Russian warship involved, was under surveillance by the patrol ship HMS Mersey during the encounter. Politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer, have expressed concern over the incident, with the MoD maintaining that it was an isolated event and emphasizing the UK’s readiness to confront Russian aggression when necessary.