diff --git a/src/ruleset/v3/functions/requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity.ts b/src/ruleset/v3/functions/requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..871136965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ruleset/v3/functions/requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { createRulesetFunction } from '@stoplight/spectral-core';
+import type { IFunctionResult } from '@stoplight/spectral-core';
+import { SchemaDefinition } from '@stoplight/spectral-core/dist/ruleset/function';
+
+const referenceSchema: SchemaDefinition = {
+  type: 'object',
+  properties: {
+    $ref: {
+      type: 'string',
+      format: 'uri-reference'
+    },
+  },
+};
+
+export const requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity = createRulesetFunction<{ channel?: {'$ref': string}; messages?: [{'$ref': string}] }, null>(
+  {
+    input: {
+      type: 'object',
+      properties: {
+        channel: referenceSchema,
+        messages: {
+          type: 'array',
+          items: referenceSchema,
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    options: null,
+  },
+  (targetVal, _, ctx) => {
+    const results: IFunctionResult[] = [];
+    const channelPointer = targetVal.channel?.$ref as string; // required
+
+    if (channelPointer.includes('#/components/channels')) {
+      results.push({
+        message: 'The channel field of a required operation should point to a required channel.',
+        path: [...ctx.path, 'channel'],
+      });
+    }
+  
+    return results;
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/ruleset/v3/ruleset.ts b/src/ruleset/v3/ruleset.ts
index 56f7b6823..e196ea52a 100644
--- a/src/ruleset/v3/ruleset.ts
+++ b/src/ruleset/v3/ruleset.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable sonarjs/no-duplicate-string */
 
 import { AsyncAPIFormats } from '../formats';
+import { requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity } from './functions/requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity';
 import { operationMessagesUnambiguity } from './functions/operationMessagesUnambiguity';
 
 export const v3CoreRuleset = {
@@ -24,5 +25,18 @@ export const v3CoreRuleset = {
         function: operationMessagesUnambiguity,
       },
     },
+    'asyncapi3-required-operation-channel-unambiguity': {
+      description: 'Required operation (under root channels) "channel" must reference to a required channel (under root channels).',
+      message: '{{error}}',
+      severity: 'error',
+      recommended: true,
+      resolved: false, // We use the JSON pointer to match the channel.
+      given: [
+        '$.operations.*',
+      ],
+      then: {
+        function: requiredOperationChannelUnambiguity,
+      },
+    }
   },
 };
diff --git a/test/ruleset/rules/v3/asyncapi3-required-operation-channel-unambiguity.spec.ts b/test/ruleset/rules/v3/asyncapi3-required-operation-channel-unambiguity.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..153a572ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ruleset/rules/v3/asyncapi3-required-operation-channel-unambiguity.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,261 @@
+import { testRule, DiagnosticSeverity } from '../../tester';
+
+testRule('asyncapi3-required-operation-channel-unambiguity', [
+  {
+    name: 'valid case - required operation (under root) channel field points to a required channel (under root)',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      channels: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          messages: {
+            UserSignedUp: {
+              payload: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                  displayName: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  },
+                  email: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      operations: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          action: 'send',
+          channel: {
+            $ref: '#/channels/UserSignedUp'
+          },
+          messages: [
+            {
+              $ref: '#/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    errors: [],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'valid case - required operation (under root) channel field points to a required channel (under root) from an external doc',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      channels: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          messages: {
+            UserSignedUp: {
+              payload: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                  displayName: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  },
+                  email: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      operations: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          action: 'send',
+          channel: {
+            $ref: 'http://foo.bar/components/file.yml#/channels/UserSignedUp'
+          },
+          messages: [
+            {
+              $ref: 'http://foo.bar/components/file.yml#/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    errors: [],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'valid case - required operation (under components) channel field points to a required channel (under root)',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      channels: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          messages: {
+            UserSignedUp: {
+              payload: {
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                  displayName: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  },
+                  email: {
+                    type: 'string'
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      components: {
+        operations: {
+          UserSignedUp: {
+            action: 'send',
+            channel: {
+              $ref: '#/channels/UserSignedUp'
+            },
+            messages: [
+              {
+                $ref: '#/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    errors: [],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'valid case - optional operation (under components) channel field points to an optional channel (under components)',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      components: {
+        channels: {
+          UserSignedUp: {
+            messages: {
+              UserSignedUp: {
+                payload: {
+                  type: 'object',
+                  properties: {
+                    displayName: {
+                      type: 'string'
+                    },
+                    email: {
+                      type: 'string'
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        operations: {
+          UserSignedUp: {
+            action: 'send',
+            channel: {
+              $ref: '#/components/channels/UserSignedUp'
+            },
+            messages: [
+              {
+                $ref: '#/components/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    errors: [],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'invalid case - required operation (in root) channel field points to an optional channel (under components)',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      operations: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          action: 'send',
+          channel: {
+            $ref: '#/components/channels/UserSignedUp'
+          },
+          messages: [
+            {
+              $ref: '#/components/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      components: {
+        channels: {
+          UserSignedUp: {
+            messages: {
+              UserSignedUp: {
+                payload: {
+                  type: 'object',
+                  properties: {
+                    displayName: {
+                      type: 'string'
+                    },
+                    email: {
+                      type: 'string'
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    errors: [
+      {
+        message: 'The channel field of a required operation should point to a required channel.',
+        path: ['operations', 'UserSignedUp', 'channel'],
+        severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error,
+      }
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'invalid case - required operation (in root) channel field points to an optional channel (under components) from an external doc',
+    document: {
+      asyncapi: '3.0.0',
+      info: {
+        title: 'Account Service',
+        version: '1.0.0'
+      },
+      operations: {
+        UserSignedUp: {
+          action: 'send',
+          channel: {
+            $ref: 'http://foo.bar/components/file.yml#/components/channels/UserSignedUp'
+          },
+          messages: [
+            {
+              $ref: 'http://foo.bar/components/file.yml#/components/channels/UserSignedUp/messages/UserSignedUp'
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    errors: [
+      {
+        message: 'The channel field of a required operation should point to a required channel.',
+        path: ['operations', 'UserSignedUp', 'channel'],
+        severity: DiagnosticSeverity.Error,
+      }
+    ],
+  },
+]);