BRITISH COUPLE ACCUSE MOD OF ATTEMPTING TO 'CLOSE DOWN' WARSHIP INCIDENT STORY

Jane Kelvey and her husband Alan were aboard their 40-foot British-flagged yacht Bright Future when warning shots were fired near them by the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich in the English Channel on Tuesday at approximately 11.40am. The couple have accused the Ministry of Defence of attempting to "close down" their account of the incident. The MoD stated its assessment was that the shots served as a warning after the yacht came too close to the frigate and that the warship's crew attempted to contact the Kelveys by radio. The Prime Minister described the incident as "reckless" but not "sinister".

Alan Kelvey disputed the MoD's account, stating that no radio communication was received despite the couple being positioned near their radio equipment. He rejected the MoD's explanation that poor visibility and flares were involved, asserting that both vessels could see each other "clearly". The yacht had departed from Lymington, Hampshire at 4am on Tuesday bound for Cherbourg in France when the shots were fired approximately 20 nautical miles south of the Isle of Wight, outside UK territorial waters. The Russian Defence Ministry claimed the yacht was following a "dangerous course" and that the Admiral Grigorovich had made "several attempts" to contact the vessel through flares and sound signals.

Mr Kelvey suggested the MoD's downplaying of the incident reflected concerns about its inflammatory nature. The couple's account contradicts official statements regarding both the method and success of communication attempts between the warship and the yacht.