A Russian frigate fired warning shots at a British yacht

The Russian military ship *Admiral Grigorovich* fired warning shots at a civilian yacht flying the British flag as the vessels approached each other in international waters of the English Channel. The civilian crew reported the incident to the coast guard; no one was injured, and the yacht continued on its way. 

This frigate of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been operating near British waters for several weeks, carrying out escort missions for oil tankers of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and maneuvering near an offshore wind farm off the coast of Suffolk. 

Immediately prior to the shooting incident, the Russian warship’s passage through the English Channel was continuously monitored by two Royal Navy coastal patrol boats—HMS Mersey and HMS Tyne.

This was reported by the British daily newspaper The Telegraph.

The United Kingdom carried out its first-ever operation to intercept a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the English Channel. On Sunday morning, June 14, Royal Marines, together with officers from the National Crime Agency, boarded the vessel SMYRTOS, which Russia uses to circumvent sanctions. 

Armed guards have appeared on tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet.”

Russia’s shadow fleet transports oil under false insurance policies – Bloomberg

As a reminder, France plans to significantly increase penalties for ship owners and operators who use false flags or ignore orders to stop.