STORY
Sir Keir Starmer has described an incident involving a Russian warship and a British pleasure yacht in the English Channel as reckless and deeply concerning. The Prime Minister was responding after reports that the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots near the yacht Bright Future after claiming the vessel was on a dangerous course.
The Ministry of Defence said the warning shots were not aimed at the yacht and were understood to have been fired to prevent a possible collision. The incident happened more than 20 miles south of the Isle of Wight and was treated as separate from other recent UK action against Russian-linked maritime activity.
Starmer said the episode reflected a more volatile international environment and linked it to wider concerns about Russian conduct. The Government has continued to back further sanctions against Russia, including action aimed at the financial networks and shipping used to support its war against Ukraine.