A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a British yacht in the English Channel.
GB News understands that British and French ships are mobilising in response.
A Royal Navy Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter is also currently operating over the English Channel.
The incident occurred at around 11.40am this morning, with warning shots fired from around 500 yards away.
It is understood to be in the English Channel, roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, between the island and Normandy and outside UK territorial waters.
There are no reports of any injuries or damage to the yacht.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are investigating reports of an incident in the Channel."
HMS Mersey was monitoring the Admiral Grigorovich at the time.
A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a British yacht in the English Channel
|GETTY
A seaboat from HMS Tyne has visited the yacht to gather details and check that they are safe.
The Admiral Grigorovich is a 4,000-ton guided-missile frigate and the lead ship of her class in the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet.
The warship serves as a highly capable multi-role platform designed for anti-surface, anti-submarine, and air defence operations.
It is equipped with vertical launch systems for long-range cruise missiles.
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Undated handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence of RFN Admiral Grigorovich (foreground) monitored by RFA Tideforce | PA It has recently drawn intense international scrutiny due to its high-profile deployments guarding Russia's shadow fleet through the Channel.
Today's incident comes after the Royal Navy boarded a Russian oil tanker in the Channel.
However, the MoD are viewing the incident as isolated and not linked.
The tanker was anchored around three miles off the Dorset coast near Weymouth.
It is understood to be in the English Channel, roughly 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, between the island and Normandy
|The UK Foreign Office has also announced new sanctions on Russia targeting its shadow fleet.
A major new package of 70 sanctions targeting Russia's shadow fleet, military procurement networks, and illicit finance systems was announced.
Announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper at the G7 Summit, the measures aim to choke off the Kremlin's primary energy revenue streams and halt its military-industrial supply chains.
In a statement, Russia's defence ministry said: "Today, June 16 at 12:45, the crew of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich in the English Channel discovered the civilian sailing yacht Bright Future, flying the British flag, which was following a dangerous course under engines to approach the ship."
The Russian Navy frigate Admiral Grigorovich is usually docked in Saint Petersburg (file pic) | GETTYThey added: "In accordance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, the frigate's crew made several attempts to contact the civilian vessel on the international radio channel. There was no change in the yacht's course or response to the international radio channel requests.
"To attract the attention of the yacht's crew, flares were fired and sound signals were sounded. Despite these measures, the vessel continued its dangerous approach.
"After closing the distance to 150 metres, the frigate's commander decided to fire pre-emptively at the vessel's course with small arms. The British-flagged yacht then immediately changed course and continued moving away from the Russian warship.
"The crew of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich acted in strict accordance with international shipping regulations and took all necessary measures to prevent the incident."
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