A retired British couple has shared their surreal experience of having warning shots fired perilously close to their yacht by a Russian warship in the English Channel. Jane and Alan Kelvey were navigating their UK-registered yacht, Bright Future, approximately 23 miles south of the Isle of Wight on Tuesday when they found themselves in the path of the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.
The incident unfolded as the couple was enjoying a day at sea. Jane Kelvey recounted the tense moments leading up to the warning shots. "The warship sounded its horn five times, which signals 'have you seen us?'" she explained. In response, they made a deliberate two-degree turn to port, ensuring the frigate could see they had acknowledged its presence.
However, the situation escalated rapidly. "A minute later, they sounded their horn again, followed by four to five bursts of small arms fire," Jane recounted. "Fortunately, that fire was not directed at us; it was warning fire shot into the air, as we believe."
In the wake of the incident, Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that the yacht had made a "dangerous approach" towards the frigate, asserting that warning shots were fired after attempts to contact the vessel via radio and warning flares. They insisted their sailors acted in "strict accordance with international shipping regulations."
The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the occurrence, stating: "Following attempts to contact a British vessel in the channel, the Grigorovich fired warning shots. These were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to prevent a possible collision."
Despite the official narrative, Jane Kelvey firmly rejected the notion that their yacht posed any threat. "As far as we were concerned, it wasn't an incident until the gunfire started," she stated emphatically. She described the gunfire as "completely unnecessary" and categorised the encounter as a navigational hazard.
The incident transpired outside UK territorial waters under foggy conditions. British officials suspect that the small, motor-less yacht inadvertently drifted closer to the frigate, prompting the Russian crew to perceive a potential collision risk. Following the alarming events, a boat from HMS Tyne was dispatched to check on the yacht's crew and gather information regarding the incident.
Remarkably, despite the tension of the moment, the couple reported that they were not frightened. Jane amusingly recalled crouching down and pulling a canvas hood over her head for protection, while her husband remained focused on steering the vessel.
This incident comes amidst escalating tensions between the UK and Russia, occurring just days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian tanker suspected of carrying sanctioned oil in the English Channel. The Ministry of Defence clarified that the warning-shot incident was an "isolated event" and not related to the tanker interception.
Russian naval vessels routinely transit through the English Channel in international waters and are monitored by the Royal Navy. The Admiral Grigorovich was reportedly being shadowed by HMS Mersey as part of a standard operational protocol.
James Parkin, a former Royal Navy rear admiral, suggested that the episode may have stemmed from a miscalculation rather than a deliberate provocation. "I would not be surprised if it was a miscalculation, rather than a deliberate act to fire upon a British yacht so close to British waters," he remarked.
While officials maintain that the incident was not linked to recent actions against Russia's shadow fleet, Parkin noted that the seizure of a sanctioned tanker had been a significant embarrassment for Moscow, especially amid rising tensions between the two nations.
In the aftermath of this unsettling encounter, the Kelveys have underscored the importance of maritime safety and communication in avoiding such dangerous misinterpretations on the high seas. Their experience serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of international waters and the need for vigilance among all vessels navigating these shared spaces.
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