On June 17, a Russian warship fired warning shots near a yacht registered in the UK on the English Channel, amid G7 leaders meeting in eastern France and making many proposals related to the conflict that has lasted for more than four years in Ukraine.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the incident occurred when the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich tried to contact a British civilian ship. The ministry said the warning shots were not aimed at the yacht but were made to prevent the risk of collision.
British defense sources said the incident took place about 20 nautical miles south of Wight Island, just outside British waters.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it fired flares and emitted sound signals to attract the attention of the yacht. According to Moscow, the ship continued to take approach actions that were considered dangerous, causing the frigate commander to decide to use infantry weapons to fire warning shots in the direction of the ship.
The British Ministry of Defense described this as an isolated incident, unrelated to the British special forces operation last weekend to intercept and search the oil tanker Smyrtos suspected of belonging to the "dark fleet".
British defense sources commented that the Russian frigate seemed to be drifting more than moving by engine, which could make the crew feel more vulnerable.
Mr. Steve Prest, an expert at the RUSI research institute and former brigadier admiral of the British Navy, believes that the shooting may be a sign that Russia wants to show a tough stance.
The British yacht said the distance between the two ships at the time of the incident was about 450m. No casualties or damage was recorded. After being checked for safety by a boat from the Navy ship HMS Tyne, the yacht continued its journey.
