LONDON: Britain’s defence ministry stated Tuesday (Jun 16) it was “investigating stories of an incident within the Channel”, as a UK defence supply instructed AFP a yacht had reported a Russian warship firing warning photographs.
The incident apparently came about about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight simply exterior British waters, in keeping with the supply.
It got here days after UK commandos intercepted and boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet vessel in the identical a part of the Channel, within the first such UK-led operation.
It additionally coincided with G7 leaders gathering in jap France and agreeing Tuesday to accentuate strain on Russia to finish greater than 4 years of warfare towards Ukraine.
Requested in regards to the reported warning photographs, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated: “We’re investigating stories of an incident within the Channel.”
The defence supply stated it was being handled as an remoted incident not linked to the UK interception within the early hours of Sunday.
Within the incident reported Tuesday, the UK-registered yacht alleged {that a} Russian Navy vessel had fired the warning photographs at a distance of roughly 500 yards.
No accidents or harm was reported by the yacht, which is constant its journey after a welfare go to by a seaboat dispatched from British naval vessel HMS Tyne.
It’s understood one other British naval vessel, HMS Mersey, was monitoring the Russian ship on the time of the incident.
Sunday’s interdiction noticed British commandos board the sanctioned oil tanker Smyrtos – stated to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet – in a dramatic operation hailed by Kyiv and London as a blow to Moscow’s warfare machine.
The operation came about off the southern English coast, with the commandos fast-roping from a helicopter in the dead of night, in keeping with defence ministry footage launched.
British prosecutors on Monday charged Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of the Smyrtos, with contravening UK sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The 38-year-old appeared Tuesday at Southampton Magistrates’ Courtroom by videolink from Bournemouth police station for a preliminary listening to.
He spoke solely to verify his identify and date of start, and to gave his tackle as being in India. He additionally gave no indication of his plea and his solicitor requested the case be despatched to the crown courtroom.
Pant was remanded in custody, forward of a plea and trial preparation listening to at Bournemouth Crown Courtroom on July 16.
