Incident at Sea: Yacht Encounters Russian Warship
Summary
A retired British couple reported that their yacht came into close contact with the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich on Tuesday morning. The incident, described by the UK Ministry of Defence as an "isolated event," involved signal horns, warning flares, and rifle fire.
"The warship gave five blasts on its horn, interpreted as a signal meaning 'have you seen us?'"
— Jane Kelvey
The Incident
Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing when their yacht approached the Russian frigate. According to Jane, the warship issued five blasts on its horn, which the couple interpreted as a nautical signal asking, "Have you seen us?"
In response, the yacht turned two degrees to port to visually indicate that they had seen the warship.
Russian Account
The Russian Defence Ministry provided a different version of events, stating that the yacht had been on a "dangerous approach" towards the warship.
According to Russian officials:
- The warship's crew fired warning flares.
- Several radio attempts were made to contact the yacht.
- When those failed, rifles were fired into the yacht's path to deter its approach.
UK Response
The UK Ministry of Defence commented on the encounter, framing it as an isolated incident. They specifically stated that the event was not linked to the recent seizure of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Channel on Sunday.
Key Takeaways
- Location: The encounter took place at sea on Tuesday morning.
- Signals: The British couple heard five horn blasts; the Russian crew reported using flares and rifle fire.
- Context: The UK MoD has downplayed the incident, separating it from ongoing tensions involving a shadow fleet tanker seizure.