Starmer commented on the warning shots fired by a Russian frigate near the English Channel
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the warning shots fired by a Russian frigate at a civilian yacht flying the British flag near British territorial waters were “reckless” and cause serious concern.
The incident occurred on Tuesday and was confirmed by both the British and Russian defense ministries.
According to reports from both sides, the Russian frigate “Admiral Grigorovich” attempted to establish communication with the yacht; the attempt failed, and the vessel, according to the Russian Federation, was on a course that could have led to a collision.
Warning shots were then fired, including from small arms; the yacht changed course and moved away.
Keir Starmer, who is attending the G7 summit in France, emphasized that the British assessment of the events differs.
“What happened in the English Channel was deeply concerning. It was reckless,” he said.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the Russian vessel was adrift, and the shots fired were indeed warning shots.
“This should not have happened. It was reckless, and the couple on the yacht were likely frightened,” the prime minister added.
The UK Ministry of Defense described the incident as an isolated case unrelated to the recent interception of the Russian “shadow fleet” by British special operations forces.
This was reported by Reuters.
The Russian military vessel “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 notified the coast guard of the incident, in which no one was injured, and the yacht continued on its way.
Armed guards have appeared on tankers belonging to the Russian Federation’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.
