The Russian ministry said the crew of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich spotted a yacht travelling on a course that risked collision with the ship.
After repeated attempts to establish radio contact failed, the frigate fired warning shots, including small arms fire, ahead of the yacht, the ministry said. It said the yacht then altered course and moved away.
Britain’s MoD also described the shots as an attempt to avoid collision after unsuccessful attempts by the Admiral Grigorovich to contact the yacht.
Russia said the shots were fired when the vessels were 150 metres apart while a source familiar with the incident said they were separated by approximately 457 metres.
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, according to the source familiar with the incident.
In April, the Admiral Grigorovich escorted tankers carrying Russian oil through the Channel.
The Russian ministry said the crew on Tuesday acted in accordance with international maritime rules and took all necessary measures to prevent an incident.
On Sunday, British commandos boarded and intercepted the sanctioned Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker Smyrtos in the Channel, leading for the first time an operation to disrupt the oil revenue that helps fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The 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”.
A Royal Navy vessel had been monitoring the Admiral Grigorovich and support was provided to the crew of the yacht, the MoD statement added. (Reuters)