Russian warship fired 'warning shots' at yacht in Channel, UK defence source says

Published on 16/06/2026 - 17:37 GMT+2•Updated 17:45

The British Ministry of Defence (MOD) is looking into reports that a Russian warship fire warning shots near a yacht in the English Channel.

The incident was understood to have taken place about 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) south of the Isle of Wight and come just days after UK commandos intercepted and boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet vessel nearby.

Asked about the reported warning shots, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel."

This is a developing story and our journalists are working on further updates.