LONDON — Reports that a Russian warship fired warning shots near a British yacht were being investigated Tuesday by the U.K.’s Defense Ministry.
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The ministry said in a statement it was looking into the reports of an incident in the English Channel, the body of water separating Britain and France.
A British official familiar with the incident said the reports allege that a Russian navy vessel fired warning shots roughly 500 yards away from a U.K.-registered yacht.
They added that the incident was understood to have taken place outside U.K. territorial waters, around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, a small island off England’s south coast.
No injuries or damage were reported by the yacht, which is continuing its journey, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so they could provide more detail on a sensitive international issue. They added that it was being viewed as an isolated incident.
The HMS Mersey, a Royal Navy patrol ship, was monitoring the Russian vessel at the time, they said.
The Russian Embassy in London did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
This latest incident comes just two days after the U.K. Defense Ministry said British forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s sanctions-evasion network.
On Sunday, Royal Marine Commandos and officers from Britain’s National Crime Agency boarded the vessel, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel, the ministry said in a statement. It added that the tanker will be held and monitored off the south coast of England while investigations continue.
The operation lasted six hours and was conducted in close coordination with French authorities, the Defense Ministry said.
Footage shared by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on X showed armed personnel descending onto the vessel from a helicopter. Other footage shows troops conducting searches of cabins with guns drawn while officers inspect paperwork.
“This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide,” Starmer said in a separate statement.
Britain and France have both pledged to obstruct vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet that pass through their waters carrying sanctioned Russian oil or other goods for sale on black markets elsewhere, helping Russian President Vladimir Putin finance his war effort in Ukraine.
The U.K. has sanctioned almost 600 shadow fleet vessels to date, the Defense Ministry said, adding that Russia’s oil revenues are down 27% from October 2024 levels and are now at their lowest point since the start of the Ukraine war.
According to vessel-tracking website MarineTraffic, the Smyrtos sails under the flag of Cameroon. The vessel is currently anchored off the English seaside town of Weymouth, on Britain’s southern coast.
