British couple recount scary encounter with Russian warship in the Channel
The Russian warship fired warning shots allegedly to avert a collision
Last updated 7 hours ago
A British couple travelling from the south coast of England to France on their yacht experienced a frightening incident when a Russian warship fired warning shots near them in the English Channel.
Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, from Buckinghamshire, were aboard their 40ft yacht, Bright Future, when the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired shots to "prevent a possible collision," according to the Ministry of Defence.
“It was a bit scary,” Mrs Kelvey said, expressing disbelief and confusion.
She recalled, “I crouched down. I didn’t think our safety was in danger. But it was certainly unusual. As we sailed away, we said to each other, what the hell just happened?”
The Ministry of Defence stated that the shots were not aimed at the yacht and assessed this as an isolated event, unrelated to the UK's interception of the Russian tanker Smyrtos over the weekend.
Dispute over Warning Signals
The couple contested the Russian account, insisting their yacht was not on a collision course and that they received no prior contact from the Russian vessel.
Mrs Kelvey stated, “They didn’t radio us, they could have seen us coming from miles off, because we were displaying our AIS.”
She added, “There weren’t any of these flares like they say in their statement.”
“The first thing we knew was the five blasts of a horn,” she continued, “followed by the next five blasts, and then the gunfire, so we just turned.”
Mr Kelvey echoed her sentiments, commenting, “They didn’t send up any flares, they didn’t try to radio us, they weren’t, they didn’t look to us like they were adrift and we were definitely not on a collision course.”
Recent Naval Tensions
This incident follows the recent seizure of the Russian tanker Smyrtos by British forces. The captain, Ajay Pant, is facing charges of breaching sanctions.
Martin Kelly from EOS Risk Group advised caution in linking the two incidents, stating, “Warships, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, are entitled to self-defence.”
Sidharth Kaushal from the Royal United Services Institute commented on the uncommon nature of firing warning shots, suggesting it as a last resort.
The Kelveys maintain their innocence, reiterating that the Russian claims of their yacht being a threat are unfounded.