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The Guardian World1 min read
Russian warship incident in Channel deeply concerning, says Starmer
TL;DR
A Russian warship fired warning shots near a British yacht in the Channel, prompting concerns from Keir Starmer about escalating proxy attacks from Russia. The incident occurred more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight.
Key points
- Russian warship fired warning shots near British yacht
- Keir Starmer called the incident deeply concerning
- The yacht ignored warnings and approached the warship
- Incident occurred south of the Isle of Wight
- Starmer warned of daily proxy attacks from Russia
Mentioned in this story
Russian NavyKeir StarmerIsle of WightNormandy
Bright FutureAdmiral Grigorovich
Warning shots fired by a Russian warship sailing across the Channel on Tuesday morning were “deeply concerning and reckless”, Keir Starmer said from the G7 summit on Wednesday as he warned that the UK was dealing with proxy attacks from Russia “every single day”.
The prime minister said the Ministry of Defence had assessed that the Russian vessel was drifting and fired the shots within a few hundred metres of a British pleasure yacht.
He said: “We’re living in a more volatile and dangerous world than we have time at any time in our lifetimes … That is true, it’s not just an abstract description.”
The incident took place at 11.40am on Tuesday more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight and less than 40 miles north of Normandy, France, when the yacht, identified as the private vessel Bright Future, sailed close to the Admiral Grigorovich and ignored at least one warning.
British sources said initial indications were that Russian sailors fired more than one shot after the yacht had got close to the heavily armed frigate.
“Following attempts to contact a British vessel in the channel, the Grigorovich fired warning shots. These were not aimed at the vessel and were an attempt to prevent a possible collision,” the Ministry of Defence said.
Russia’s defence ministry said later the yacht was on a “dangerous course” and that several attempts were made to contact it. Signal rockets were fired, the Russians said, but the yacht continued to within 150 metres before a warning shot was fired.
Starmer told the BBC that the incident “shouldn’t have happened”, adding: “It is reckless, and the couple of the yacht must be terrified, and I think everybody will feel for them as I do.”
Asked about an arson attack on his house, Starmer said he wanted to keep the two incidents separate. Two men were found guilty of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property connected to the prime minister on Monday and appear to have operated under the instruction of an online handler with links to Russia.
“In relation to the attack on our house, I’m very pleased that justice has been done, clearly, and as you would imagine it’s had an impact and affected my family,” Starmer said.
Q&A
What happened with the Russian warship in the Channel?
A Russian warship fired warning shots near a British yacht, which had ignored warnings and approached the vessel.
How did Keir Starmer react to the Russian warship incident?
Keir Starmer described the incident as 'deeply concerning and reckless' during a statement at the G7 summit.
Where did the incident with the Russian warship take place?
The incident occurred more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight and less than 40 miles north of Normandy, France.
What is the significance of the warning shots fired by the Russian warship?
The warning shots highlight increasing tensions and proxy attacks from Russia, as noted by UK officials.
