Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots at British Yacht in English Channel

(Central News Agency, London, 16th -综合外电) The Russian military has confirmed that one of its warships fired warning shots toward a British civilian yacht in the English Channel today, stating the vessel had been dangerously approaching the Russian naval ship. The UK Ministry of Defence also stated that the Russian shots were intended to avoid a potential collision.

According to ABC News, the incident occurred approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, in waters of the English Channel outside UK territorial waters.

Reuters and AFP reports indicate that Russian authorities said crew members aboard the Russian Navy frigate Admiral Grigorovich detected a civilian yacht traveling on a course that risked collision with the warship.

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that after multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact the yacht via radio, the frigate's crew 'fired signal flares and discharged acoustic signals' in an attempt to attract the yacht's attention. 'Despite these measures, the vessel continued to approach dangerously,' the statement said.

It added that subsequently, 'the commander decided to use small arms to fire warning shots in the direction of the vessel,' after which the yacht changed course and moved away from the Russian ship.

The UK Ministry of Defence similarly noted that the warning shots were taken by the Admiral Grigorovich after repeated failed attempts to contact the yacht, as a measure to prevent collision.

Russia stated the distance between the two vessels was 150 meters when the warning shots were fired. However, an informed source revealed the actual distance was approximately 457 meters.

The source said visibility was low at the time, with dense fog covering the sea surface, but fortunately no casualties occurred.

The incident comes shortly after UK armed forces intercepted the Russian shadow fleet tanker SMYRTOS on the 14th, marking the first time the UK has led an operation to disrupt Russian oil revenues and weaken funding for its war in Ukraine, raising questions about whether the two events are related.

However, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated that preliminary assessments concluded today's incident was unrelated to the 14th's interception and was a 'standalone event'.

The UK Ministry of Defence also stated that the Royal Navy has maintained surveillance on the Admiral Grigorovich and has provided necessary assistance to the crew of the yacht involved in the warning shot incident. (Compiled by: Tsai Chia-min) 1150617