Russian Warship Fires Warning Shots at British Yacht

The two sides offered sharply different accounts of the confrontation. The Kelveys insist they had right of way under international maritime rules because they were travelling under sail rather than engine power, with their automatic identification system switched on and their radio monitored. They say the frigate never attempted to contact them by radio or fire warning flares, and that there was no risk of collision. Moscow, however, claims the yacht was proceeding under engine power directly towards the warship, ignoring repeated radio calls and signal flares. According to the Russian defence ministry, the crew fired across the bow with small arms "in strict accordance with international navigation laws" to prevent a collision.

The episode quickly captured public attention in Britain, partly because of the couple's strikingly calm response. After alerting the coastguard, they were checked on by HMS Tyne, a Royal Navy patrol vessel, before continuing to Cherbourg — where they marked the ordeal with a glass of rosé and a beer, vowing to carry on with their two-month holiday. "We don't want world war three to start because of this," Mrs Kelvey said. The British defence ministry initially played down the matter as a "nautical incident", even suggesting foggy conditions were partly to blame, a claim the couple dismissed as "rubbish". Speaking at a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations in France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the Russian action "reckless" and "deeply concerning", reflecting heightened tensions between London and Moscow.