A retired British couple involved in a tense encounter with a Russian warship in the English Channel have strongly denied suggestions they endangered the ship, insisting they “obeyed all the rules” before firing warning shots nearby.Jane Kelvey, 68, and her husband Alan, 70, were traveling from southern England to France on Tuesday on the 40-foot yacht Bright Future, when the incident occurred about 23 miles off the Isle of Wight.
Couple says they were not involved in collision
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the yacht made a “dangerous approach” to the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, forcing the sailors to fire warning shots after allegedly using radio calls, flares and sound signals to alert the crew.However, the Kelvey family categorically denied this claim. “We are absolutely not a guilty party,” Jane Kelvey told the broadcaster, insisting the yacht never collided with the Russian ship.She said the couple often encountered naval vessels while sailing and often wanted to communicate restricted areas or navigational instructions by radio. “We couldn’t hear anything on the radio at all,” she said.
Horns blared, followed by gunshots
Recalling the incident, Kelvey said the warship first sounded its horn five times – a maritime signal asking if another vessel had been sighted.In response, the couple changed course slightly to show they had noticed the frigate. But soon after, trumpets sounded again, followed by rounds of small-arms fire.Kelvey said the shots appeared to be a warning shot into the air rather than being fired at the yacht. After the gunfire, the couple turned on their engines and quickly changed course to get away from the area.
Russia and Britain offer conflicting versions
Russia insisted its crew acted “strictly in accordance with international shipping regulations” and said it only fired warning shots after repeated attempts to contact the yacht failed.The British couple disputed that account, saying they received no radio traffic before the shots were fired and did not see warning rounds.The UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) acknowledged the incident and said the warning shots “were not directed at the ship” but were intended to prevent a possible collision.Officials believe the Russian frigate was drifting rather than maneuvering under power.
Couple criticizes official response
Despite official assurances, the Kelvey family remains frustrated by suggestions they were responsible for the conflict.Jane Kelvey called the shooting “completely unnecessary” and said she reported the incident as a navigation hazard, the BBC reported.The couple later claimed authorities seemed keen to minimize attention to the incident and said they believed the narrative unfairly shifted blame onto them.
Starmer called the incident “reckless”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “deeply concerning” and “reckless” while stressing there was no suggestion there was anything more sinister behind the encounter.“The MoD’s 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.HMS Mersey monitored Russian warships as they transited the English Channel, a 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 in the English Channel carrying sanctioned oil, adding another layer of tension to already strained relations between the UK and Russia.
