British authorities launched an investigation Tuesday into reports that a Russian warship fired warning shots at a U.K.-registered yacht in the English Channel, raising fresh tensions in one of the world's busiest maritime corridors.
The Defense Ministry said it was investigating an "incident” after the yacht said it was fired on by a Russian navy vessel about 500 yards (460 meters) away. It happened about 20 miles (about 30 kilometers) south of the Isle of Wight, outside the U.K. territorial waters.
There were no reports of injuries or damage to the yacht.
The Russian government did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
British media reported that the Russian vessel is the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. Russian warships passing through the English Channel are routinely shadowed by the Royal Navy, and patrol vessel HMS Mersey was monitoring the Russian ship at the time of the reported incident.
