Russian sailors aboard a naval frigate fired warning shots at a civilian yacht in the English Channel on Tuesday after the vessel reportedly came too close, according to a source familiar with the incident.
Russia's Defence Ministry in a statement on Tuesday said the yacht had been on a "dangerous approach" towards the warship when the incident occured.
It also said the warning shots were fired after repeated attempts to contact the yatch by radio adding that the sailors acted in accordance with international shipping regulations.
Britain's MoD also described the shots as an attempt to avoid collision after unsuccessful attempts by the Admiral Grigorovich to contact the yacht.
The incident took place in foggy conditions in the Channel about 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters, and no injuries were reported
No injuries or damage were immediately reported, and further details about the yacht or the circumstances surrounding the encounter were not available.
The reported encounter comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of Russian vessels operating near British waters.
On Monday, the Royal Navy said two British ships had monitored the Admiral Grigorovich as it travelled through the Channel west of the French port city of Brest.
British naval forces routinely track foreign military vessels passing through waters close to the UK.
The incident also comes shortly after British commandos intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Channel.
The operation, carried out on Sunday, targeted a vessel linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, a network of ships used to transport oil despite international sanctions.
British authorities described the move as part of wider efforts to disrupt revenue streams that help finance Russia's war in Ukraine.
An MoD spokesperson said its assessment was that Tuesday's warning shots were not linked to Sunday's interception and described it instead as an "isolated incident".
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