Russian Warship Fires Shots Near British Yacht

The two sides gave very different accounts. The Kelveys insist they had right of way under international sea rules, because they were travelling under sail rather than engine power. They say their identification system was switched on and their radio was being monitored, and that there was no risk of collision. Moscow, however, claims the yacht was moving under engine power straight towards the warship, ignoring repeated radio calls and signal flares. Russia's defence ministry says the crew fired across the bow with small arms to prevent a crash.

The story quickly drew attention in Britain, partly because of the couple's calm reaction. After alerting the coastguard, they were checked on by HMS Tyne, a Royal Navy patrol vessel, before reaching Cherbourg, where they celebrated with a glass of rosé and a beer. "We don't want world war three to start because of this," Mrs Kelvey said. Britain's defence ministry first played the matter down as a "nautical incident", but Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Russian action "reckless" and "deeply concerning" at a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations.