English Channel yacht couple claim MoD tried to shut Russian warship story down

WorldPolitics
17 Jun 2026 • 9:33 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

English Channel yacht couple claim MoD tried to shut Russian warship story down

  • Jane and Alan Kelvey have accused the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of attempting to downplay an incident where a Russian frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, fired warning shots near their yacht, Bright Future, in the English Channel.
  • The incident took place 23 miles off the Isle of Wight on Tuesday morning, with the Russian Ministry of Defence claiming the yacht was on a 'dangerous approach' due to adverse weather conditions.
  • The Kelveys vehemently deny being on a dangerous course, stating they made a deliberate course change after horn blasts and that no flares or radio signals were issued before the gunfire.
  • They believe the MoD is trying to 'shut the story down' and 'water down' their account, describing the event as an 'isolated incident' and 'nautical' rather than escalatory or aggressive.
  • The event, which was monitored by the Royal Navy's HMS Mersey, prompted Sir Keir Starmer to label it 'reckless' and the Conservatives to call it 'hugely concerning', underscoring Russia's aggressive stance.

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