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A naval incident in the English Channel has further heightened tensions between the United Kingdom and Russia. According to British media reports, a Russian warship fired on a British-registered yacht that approached the Russian military vessel in international waters.
The incident is understood to have occurred at around 11:40am on Tuesday in the maritime area between the Isle of Wight and the coast of Normandy. According to preliminary information, the Russian frigate "Admiral Grigorovich", one of the most famous warships of the Russian fleet, was involved in the incident.
The British Ministry of Defense confirmed that it has received reports of the incident and has launched an investigation to verify the circumstances of the event.
"We are investigating reports of an incident in the English Channel," a ministry spokesman said.
According to preliminary data, the British yacht reported that the Russian ship fired gunfire from a distance of about 500 yards, approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight. The area where the incident occurred is outside British territorial waters.
British authorities have announced that there are no reports of injuries or material damage to the yacht. For now, the incident is being treated as an isolated case, while investigations continue to clarify whether it was a warning shot or an operational misunderstanding.
The Royal Navy was monitoring the Russian ship
According to Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor at Sky News, the Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Mersey was monitoring the movements of the Russian frigate at the time of the incident.
However, British security sources have stressed that there is no evidence directly linking Tuesday's incident to the recent British operation against a Russian tanker in the English Channel.
The operation against the Russian tanker
The incident comes just two days after British forces launched an unprecedented operation against the oil tanker Smyrtos, which is considered part of Russia's so-called "shadow" fleet.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy commandos and specialist officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) boarded the tanker early Sunday morning.
The operation lasted about six hours and was supported by military helicopters, Chinook transport aircraft, as well as the warships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
After inspecting the ship, British authorities arrested a 38-year-old Indian national, believed to be the captain of the vessel, and charged him with violating sanctions imposed on Russia.
On the other hand, the Russian Embassy in London stated that there were no Russian citizens on board.
Starmer: Another blow to Russia
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the operation, calling it "another blow to Russia."
He stated that the action of the British authorities sends a clear message to those who help finance the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.
The ships of the "shadow" fleet are considered a key instrument for exporting Russian oil despite international sanctions. According to Western countries, the income from these activities is used to support Moscow's military efforts in Ukraine.
Following the operation, the British government also announced a new package of sanctions targeting individuals and companies linked to the Russian oil trade.
Although British authorities have not officially linked the latest incident to the seizure of the tanker "Smyrtos", the timing of the events has increased speculation that relations between London and Moscow are entering an even more tense phase.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Great Britain has become one of Kiev's main military and political supporters, imposing a series of sanctions on Russia and intensifying control over the activities of its "shadow" fleet.
While investigations into the incident in the English Channel continue, British and Russian authorities have not yet provided further details on the circumstances leading to the reported shooting, but the event is considered another signal of the tense climate that continues to characterize relations between the two countries.
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