A Russian expert has told Metro that President Vladimir Putin 'won't care' about his warship firing at a civilian yacht in the English Channel. Jane and Alan Kelvey were sailing 23 miles south of the Isle of Wight when they encountered the Admiral Grigorovich frigate. Russia accused them of making a 'dangerous approach' after news emerged that warning shots had been fired, but the couple insist they were 'definitely not on a collision course'.
Russian Navy's Account
The Russian Navy insists they made several attempts to contact the yacht via radio, flares, and sound signals. However, Mrs. Kelvey said they did not hear anything until the warship sounded its five horn blasts. She described the gunfire as 'totally unnecessary', adding that they 'would have fired back if we had something'.
Political Reactions
Sir Keir Starmer called the incident 'reckless' but stressed there was no sign it was anything 'more sinister' than a drifting vessel. Chatham House Russian expert Keir Giles told Metro the encounter has raised more questions than answers. 'How many other times does this happen, but it hasn't been reported because it's part of normal maritime business? Do the Russians do this in other places? The other question is: is it a one-off? Well, we won't know that until they do it again — or not,' he said. He added: 'I think even if Putin gets to hear about it, the likelihood that he will care is slim.'
Defence Funding Concerns
Dr. James Smith, a British Academy Research Scholar at King's College Department of War Studies, argued that incidents like this are a result of the government's 'unwillingness to fund defence.' He told Metro: 'The English Channel has been a symbol of British defence for centuries, its most militarily defended border. The fact that Russia felt emboldened to get away with an aggressive action is a direct result of the Government's unwillingness to fund defence.'
Shadow Fleet Incident
Tensions in the English Channel have been heightened recently after Royal Marines commandos boarded a Russian shadow fleet tanker suspected of circumventing sanctions. Mr. Giles believes the Ministry of Defence 'overplayed its hand' by releasing footage of the seizure. 'I think they were trying to show the British public that Keir Starmer was finally doing something about defence,' he argued. 'The Starmer government needed a distraction, and what we don't know — because we're not in that government — is how much of a role that played in the timing of the boarding of this vessel.'
Liberal Democrat Response
James MacCleary, the Lib Dem MP for Lewes, said: 'Reports of a Russian warship firing warning shots in the English Channel are deeply concerning. Russia is quite literally on our doorstep. Aggression and intimidation in our waters must not be tolerated.'
