A Russian naval vessel on Wednesday fired warning shots at a South Korean fishing boat operating in waters off Vladivostok, Seoul's oceans ministry said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

The Russian warship broadcast a warning when the 77-ton fishing vessel was catching squid at around 3:27 a.m. in waters some 138.9 kilometers south of Vladivostok, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

The captain of the Korean ship explained the situation to a Russian border patrol official and was reportedly told that it may continue to operate though the Russian navy was training there.

But three hours later, the Russian vessel fired warnings shots and the Korean ship went into the Russian exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Under the bilateral fishery treaty, Korean fishing boats are allowed to operate in those waters.

The ministry said it will step up the monitoring of Korean fishing boats operating in Russian waters to prevent similar incidents, and will discuss ways with Russian authorities to ensure safe operations by Korean fishing vessels. (Yonhap)