A British retired couple recounted a "surreal" experience on Tuesday morning when a Russian warship fired warning shots near their yacht in the English Channel. Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing their UK-registered vessel approximately 23 miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight when they encountered the Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich.

The incident occurred in international waters, an area where Russian warships frequently transit and are typically monitored by Royal Navy vessels. The couple stated they were not on a collision course with the warship, contradicting Russia's Defence Ministry's account.

Jane Kelvey described the sequence of events to BBC Newsnight, explaining that the warship first sounded its horn five times, a signal indicating "have you seen us?" Upon seeing the signal, the couple altered their course by two degrees to signal they had noticed the warship. "Then a minute or so later they gave another five blasts on their horn, immediately followed by four to five small arms fire," Kelvey said. She clarified that the shots were not aimed at them but appeared to be warning fire into the air.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer characterized the firing of shots into the yacht's path as "reckless" and expressed sympathy for the couple, stating they "must have felt terrified." The Ministry of Defence (MoD) classified the event as an "isolated incident."

Russia's Defence Ministry claimed the yacht had been approaching the warship dangerously. They stated that after multiple attempts to contact the yacht via radio and launching warning flares, their sailors fired rifles into the yacht's path. The ministry asserted that its crew acted in strict accordance with international shipping regulations.

An MoD spokesperson confirmed that following attempts to communicate with the yacht, the Russian vessel fired warning shots. The MoD's assessment indicated that the Russian vessel was drifting at the time of the warning shots, a context the Prime Minister noted as important.

Russian warships regularly navigate the English Channel, a vital shipping lane. These passages, while occurring in international waters, are closely observed by naval forces of countries bordering the Channel, including the UK and France, to ensure maritime security and adherence to international law.

The incident raises questions about maritime safety and communication protocols between naval vessels and civilian craft in busy international waterways. While both sides have presented differing accounts of the encounter, the primary concern for officials remains the safety of civilian sailors operating in proximity to military exercises or transits.