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“It Was Reckless”: Keir Starmer Condemns Russian Frigate for Firing Warning Shots at Civilian Yacht in English Channel
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described warning shots fired by a Russian frigate toward a civilian yacht in the English Channel as reckless and irresponsible.
Speaking in an interview with BBC News on June 17, Starmer said the incident, which occurred near UK territorial waters, was deeply concerning.
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What happened in the Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless,” the British prime minister said.
He noted that, according to the Ministry of Defense’s assessment, the Russian vessel had been drifting and the shots were fired as warning fire.
UK’s PM added that the incident should not have occurred and that the couple on board the yacht were likely left “terrified.”
On the morning of June 16, A Russian warship opened warning fire on a British-flagged yacht in the English Channel.
According to The Telegraph, the UK Coastguard was alerted to the incident by the civilian vessel, which had been sailing in proximity to the Admiral Grigorovich, a frigate belonging to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
The report said the exchange marked a significant escalation in a weeks-long pattern of tense encounters in waters near the UK. The same Russian frigate has reportedly been observed escorting vessels linked to the so-called shadow oil fleet and operating close to a wind farm off the Suffolk coast.
Crew members on the yacht said the warship fired after the two vessels passed each other in the Channel at around 11:40 a.m. GMT, approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight and outside UK territorial waters.
Previuosly, two River-class offshore patrol vessels, HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne, had tracked the Russian ship through the Channel on June 15. That monitoring operation preceded the incident involving warning shots.
No injuries or damage were reported, and the yacht continued its voyage. The Telegraph added that a small boat from HMS Tyne later approached the vessel to check on those aboard and confirm their safety.
Just days earlier, the UK had taken direct action against similar maritime activity. On June 14, Royal Marines from 42 Commando boarded and detained the Cameroon-flagged tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel.
The operation marked the first use of recently expanded British powers allowing action against vessels suspected of assisting Russia in evading oil sanctions. The six-hour intervention was intended to disrupt revenues generated through Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which London says helps finance the war against Ukraine.
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