Why are Russian warships in the English Channel?
June 17, 2026
21 min
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997 of 1,000
June 17, 2026
Why are Russian warships in the English Channel?
0:00 / 21:12
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Sky News Episodes Around June 17, 2026
Episode 997 of 1,000 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
21:12This episodeWhy are Russian warships in the English Channel?
Summary
<p> </p><p>"Just one of those things." A typically British response to an unprecedented act of belligerence. </p><p> </p><p>When Alan and Jane Kelvey took their yacht out for a sail across the English Channel, the last thing they expected was to be at the centre of a huge diplomatic incident. </p><p> </p><p>But when a Russian-flagged frigate fired warning shots as the couple sailed nearby, it was yet another sign of the breakdown in relations between the Kremlin and the UK. </p><p> </p><p>Was this an indirect response to the impounding of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker by British forces? Why are Moscow’s warships operating so close to the UK coastline in the first place? And is it another example of the Royal Navy's lack of resources? </p><p> </p><p>Niall Paterson is joined by Sky’s military analyst Professor Michael Clarke. </p><p> </p><p>Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: <u><a href="mailto:why@sky.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">why@sky.uk</a></u> </p>
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