British Couple Denies Endangering Russian Warship in English Channel Incident

UK on Sunday had intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel

A retired British couple caught in a tense encounter with a Russian warship in the English Channel have strongly dismissed claims that they endangered the vessel, insisting they "followed all the rules" before warning shots were fired nearby. Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, were sailing aboard their 40-foot yacht Bright Future from southern England to France on Tuesday when the incident unfolded around 23 miles off the Isle of Wight.

Couple says they were not on collision course

The Russian Defence Ministry claimed the yacht had made a "dangerous approach" towards the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, forcing sailors to fire warning shots after allegedly using radio calls, signal flares, and sound signals to alert the crew. However, the Kelveys have rejected the account outright. "We absolutely weren't the guilty party," Jane Kelvey told broadcasters, insisting the yacht was never on a collision course with the Russian vessel. She said the couple regularly encounter naval ships while sailing and would normally expect exclusion zones or navigational instructions to be communicated over radio. "There was absolutely nothing heard on our radio," she said.

Horn blasts followed by gunfire

Recalling the incident, Kelvey said the warship first sounded five blasts on its horn — a maritime signal asking whether another vessel has been seen. The couple responded by altering course slightly to indicate they had noticed the frigate. But moments later, further horn blasts were followed by several rounds of small-arms fire. Kelvey said the shots appeared to be warning fire directed into the air rather than at the yacht. Following the gunfire, the couple switched on their engine and quickly altered course to move away from the area.

Russia and UK offer conflicting versions

Russia maintains its crew acted "in strict accordance with international shipping regulations" and says warning shots were fired only after repeated attempts to contact the yacht failed. The British couple dispute that version, saying they received no radio communication and saw no warning flares before the shots were fired. The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) acknowledged the incident, stating that the warning shots were "not aimed at the vessel" and were intended to prevent a possible collision. Officials believe the Russian frigate was drifting rather than manoeuvring under power at the time.

Couple criticise official response

Despite official assurances, the Kelveys remain frustrated by suggestions they were responsible for the confrontation. According to the BBC, Jane Kelvey described the gunfire as "completely unnecessary" and said she reported the incident as a navigational hazard. The couple later claimed that authorities appeared keen to minimise attention on the episode, saying they felt the narrative was unfairly shifting blame onto them.

Starmer calls incident 'reckless'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the episode as "deeply concerning" and "reckless", while stressing there was no indication of anything more sinister behind the encounter. "The MoD assessment is that the Russian vessel was drifting and out of control," Starmer said, adding that the Kelveys must have been "terrified" by the experience. The Royal Navy's HMS Mersey was monitoring the Russian warship during its transit through the Channel, as is routine practice for Russian naval vessels passing through the busy waterway. The incident comes just days after British forces intercepted a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel, adding another layer of tension to already strained UK-Russia relations.

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