MoD investigating reports Russian warship fired warning shots near yacht in Channel

The Ministry of Defence is investigating reports a Russian warship fired warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel.

The incident, which happened at around 11:40am BST on Tuesday between the Isle of Wight and Normandy, reportedly involved the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich.

It is understood there were no injuries or damage to the yacht.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel."

British authorities received reports from a UK-registered yacht that the Russian vessel had fired warning shots from around 500 yards (457 meters) away - a relatively near distance by the standards of sea travel.

The incident reportedly happened around 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters.

It comes days after Royal Marine Commandos intercepted a Russian shadow fleet tanker carrying sanctioned oil in the Channel on Sunday, in the first operation of its kind carried out by the British military.

But it is understood British officials do not view this incident as being linked to Sunday's operation.

Russian warships regularly pass through the Channel and are routinely monitored by Royal Navy vessels.

The frigate thought to be involved in Tuesday's incident was being shadowed by the HMS Mersey, it is understood.

On Monday, the Navy said the Admiral Grigorovich was being tracked by the HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey over the weekend, in what it described as a "routine operation" after it was spotted off the coast of Brest in France.

The warship has allegedly been operating in the Channel for a while, patrolling and also escorting some of the Russian shadow fleet that pass through the shipping lane.