Russia accuses UK of “piracy” after English Channel incident

Russia has accused the United Kingdom of engaging in “piracy” at sea following an incident in the English Channel involving a Russian warship and a British-flagged yacht.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the remarks while commenting on an encounter in which the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich reportedly fired warning shots after a yacht identified as Bright Future approached the vessel on a close and potentially unsafe course.

Zakharova claimed the UK was acting in violation of international maritime norms and suggested the incident reflected broader efforts to reshape global maritime influence.

“The United Kingdom has moved to open piracy against vessels, both in form and substance,” she said, arguing that recent Western maritime actions were aimed at “redistributing spheres of influence” and control over global energy transport routes.

She added that Britain, despite frequently invoking international law, was in practice undermining it, and described the situation as part of a wider struggle over maritime and economic dominance.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said the response by the Admiral Grigorovich was justified, describing the warning shots as a necessary measure to ensure safety. She added that “some actors only understand forceful signals,” and suggested Russia would continue to enforce maritime rules “without hesitation.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the frigate acted in accordance with international navigation rules and that all necessary steps were taken to avoid escalation. It stated that the warning fire was carried out after repeated dangerous manoeuvres by the approaching vessel.