An incident involving a British yacht and a Russian warship occurred in the English Channel. According to British media, at approximately 11:40 local time, the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich", located between the Isle of Wight and the coast of Normandy, fired warning shots near a civilian vessel.
An alarm signal was received from the crew of the yacht, registered in the UK. After that, a marine patrol boat accompanied by HMS Tyne approached the civilian vessel. The British military confirmed that no one on board was injured and the yacht itself was not damaged. Crew members' testimonies about the incident were also collected.
The British Ministry of Defence reported that they are investigating reports of the incident in the English Channel. Other official details have not yet been provided.
If confirmed, this episode could become one of the most high-profile maritime incidents in recent months in a waterway through which hundreds of civilian and military vessels pass daily. The reasons why the Russian frigate might have used warning fire are not officially disclosed.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the incident in the English Channel. According to the department, the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" opened preemptive fire after the British sailing yacht Bright Future approached the ship to a distance of about 150 meters.
The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that before this, the crew repeatedly tried to contact the yacht via international radio channel, and also used signal flares and sound signals. However, there was no response, and the vessel continued its dangerous approach, after which the frigate commander decided to fire warning shots.
Main characteristics of Project 11356R ship "Admiral Grigorovich":
- Displacement: standard — about 3830 tons, full — 4035 tons
- Dimensions: length — 124.8 m, width — 15.2 m, draft — 4.2 m (maximum can reach 7.5 m)
- Speed: full — 30 knots, economic — 14 knots
- Cruising range: 4850 nautical miles (at 14 knots)
- Endurance: up to 30 days
- Crew: 180 people (including 18 officers) and 20 marines
- Power plant: gas turbine (COGAG scheme). Includes two cruising and two afterburning engines. Power: cruising — about 8450 hp each, afterburning — about 22,000 hp each. Four WCM-800 diesel generators (800 kW each) are also installed.
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