A retired British couple sailing in the English Channel have described a “surreal” encounter with a Russian warship after warning shots were fired nearby during an incident south of the Isle of Wight.
The incident took place yesterday morning (Tuesday 16 June 2026) in international waters about 20 nautical miles south of the island. The UK-registered yacht Bright Future, a 12m vessel sailed by Alan and Jane Kelvey, came close to the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich, which has spent recent months operating in the Channel and North Sea.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Russian warship fired warning shots after attempts to contact the yacht. British officials said the shots were not directed at the vessel and that no injuries or damage were reported.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “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.”
The news came two days after British forces boarded and intercepted the sanctioned tanker Smyrtos in the Channel. The MoD said it viewed Tuesday’s event as an isolated incident and did not believe it was connected to the interception, which took place on Sunday (14 June 2026).
Russia’s defence ministry said the yacht was approaching on a “dangerous course” and that efforts had been made to contact it using international radio channels. Russian officials said signal rockets were fired before the yacht came within 150 metres of the frigate. The ministry said the crew acted “in strict accordance with international maritime rules” and “strict accordance with international shipping regulations”.
Couple involved dispute Russian account of events
The Kelveys have disputed much of that account. Recalling the encounter, Jane Kelvey told the BBC‘s Newsnight programme: “[The warship] gave out five blasts on their horn, which means ‘have you seen us?’
“We immediately turned two degrees to port so they could see we had made a deliberate change of course, which meant we had seen them.
“Then a minute or so later they gave another five blasts on their horn, immediately followed by four to five small arms fire.
“That wasn’t aimed at us – it was warning fire that went up in the air, we believe.”
She rejected suggestions that the yacht had been heading towards the frigate.
“As far as we were concerned, it wasn’t an incident until the gunfire started,” she adds.
Kelvey adds: “They didn’t send up any flares, they didn’t try to radio us, they didn’t look to us like they were adrift, we were definitely not on a collision course. We were going to miss them. It just wasn’t an incident until the gunfire started.”
Speaking to the I Paper, Jane described the experience as “a bit scary” and “certainly unusual”, though the couple said they never felt in immediate danger.
British officials have said the yacht had drifted closer to the frigate in foggy conditions, with reports suggesting the vessels came within roughly 450m of each other.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer issued a comment on Tuesday. “What happened in the Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless,” he says. “The MoD have done an assessment. Their assessment is that the Russian vessel was drifting, and they were warning shots, and therefore it is important in that context.”
He added that the incident “shouldn’t have happened”.
The Royal Navy was already tracking the Admiral Grigorovich when the incident occurred. HMS Mersey was monitoring the frigate, while a boat from HMS Tyne was sent to the yacht afterwards to check on the crew and gather information.
The Admiral Grigorovich has featured regularly in Royal Navy monitoring operations this year. NATO sources cited in reports said the frigate had been assigned to escort vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet through the Channel. The warship has also reportedly received supplies from the support vessel PM-82, allowing it to remain at sea for extended periods.
British and NATO officials have linked the frigate to the protection of tankers used to move Russian oil despite sanctions imposed after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Former Royal Navy captain John Foreman suggested to The Guardian that Russian commanders are often cautious about vessels approaching their ships. He said: “This may not be Vladimir Putin’s response to the Channel seizure, but yachters should know not to sail near a Russian warship.
“Russian captains, Russian warships are always twitchy about boats coming towards them. They have a mental exclusion zone of about 500 metres. It is not unheard of for a Russian captain to fire after issuing a warning.”
Warning shots are recognised as part of maritime escalation procedures, but such incidents are rare in the Channel, particularly during peacetime. After the encounter, the Bright Future continued its voyage.
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