British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the actions of the Russian frigate «Admiral Grigorovich» in the English Channel as «reckless». He made this statement during his visit to France, where the G7 summit is taking place. The incident, which occurred near British territorial waters, has sparked serious concern in London.
Reaction from British Leadership
Commenting on the situation, Starmer emphasized that what happened should not have occurred. According to him, the couple on board the civilian vessel likely experienced intense fear. The British leader condemned the actions of the Russian military, noting that such provocations are unacceptable in international waters.
«What happened in the English Channel is deeply concerning. It was reckless. This should not have happened», the Prime Minister stated.
Incident Details
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the Russian warship was drifting at the time of the incident. The department confirmed that the shots fired towards the civilian yacht were warning shots. The conflict escalated after the vessels came into close proximity, leading the Russian crew to use their weapons.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence presented a different version of events. They stated that the British yacht allegedly approached the warship dangerously and failed to respond to radio calls. These circumstances, according to the Russian side, forced the crew of the «Admiral Grigorovich» to fire a warning shot.
Context: «Shadow Fleet» and Escalation
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a tense situation surrounding Russia's «shadow fleet». The frigate «Admiral Grigorovich», part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, has been stationed near British territorial waters for several weeks. Previously, it also escorted tankers used to bypass sanctions.
Western countries have recently intensified measures against schemes to circumvent oil restrictions. Specifically, in early June, the European Union authorized the forced stoppage of vessels belonging to Russia's «shadow fleet».
Against this backdrop, radical proposals have been voiced in the Russian Federation Council. Russian senators have advocated for mining tankers of the «shadow fleet» and subsequently blowing them up if detained by foreign states. Experts warn that implementing such plans could lead to large-scale ecological disasters.