Ukraine: Two senior British officers captured by Russian special forces

What are two captured British colonels doing in Ukraine? Are they really "tourists" with a passion for maritime history, as London claims? Why did they have diplomatic passports, NATO documents, and maps of targets in Russia? Moscow accuses them of war crimes, while London repeatedly changes its story. While Western media remain silent, the Russians speak of sabotage and missile attacks 1,000 kilometers from the front. Two British Army colonels , Edward Blake and Richard Carroll, were captured by Russian special forces in a lightning raid lasting about 15 minutes on a Ukrainian military base near Ochakiv, according to Russian sources. With them was an unidentified officer, described as an MI6 agent or cybersecurity consultant. ) .

Russian media claim that the two officers were carrying diplomatic passports , NATO documents, maps with strategic targets on Russian territory, air defense plans, and encrypted disks containing colloquial conversations with the British General Staff . The Russian government considers them to be illegal combinations , not deserving of prisoner of war status, and is treating them as saboteurs potentially liable to the death penalty . .

The British Defence Minister initially said that Blake and Carroll were in London , but later changed his story, calling them “ tourists interested in the maritime history of the Second World War battlefields ” ( ) . They were then portrayed as innocent visitors. London later called on the Russian authorities to treat them according to international humanitarian law – that is, as prisoners of war – but also reiterated the tourist narrative ( ) .

The direct war waged by London

• EADaily (a Moscow-based agency) headlined: “These are not tourists,” highlighting the contradiction between the UK narrative and the evidence presented by the Russians, defining the operation as “a surprising demonstration of London's indirect warfare.” .

• The Anthony Howell blog defines the event as evidence of the “secret war of the United Kingdom”, denounces a policy of “duplicity” by the government and points out that the use of diplomatic passports and classified documentation belies the tourist version ( .

• Russian sources report that London then offered a prisoner exchange , which was rejected by Moscow, which declared: “saboteurs do not deserve leniency… this is war” .

Sophisticated equipment

• In the Russian social sphere, there is talk of sophisticated equipment in the possession of the officers: not beach towels or cameras, but classified materials, military maps, instructions for drone operations and recorded conversations with the British General Staff. .

• Rumors circulating online claim that one of the detainees is a senior MI6 official; if confirmed, his identity would further amplify the symbolic and strategic value of the case. .

Comparison of narratives Consequences and implications

• From a British perspective, this affair could highlight a confusing management of its official communications, with repeated narrative shifts that undermine its international credibility.

• For Russia , the case is a strategic propaganda opportunity: capturing high-ranking officials with compromising equipment allows it to portray the UK as a covert aggressor and justify severe penalties.

• In the medium term, Moscow is unlikely to agree to large-scale planned exchanges, especially if the detainees are classified not as prisoners of war but as war criminals or saboteurs.

In conclusion

Although British authorities have not yet provided independent official confirmation , Russian versions and analyses of alternative sources suggest a consistent picture: the officers were not simply tourists but part of an undeclared military mission. This raises important questions about both sides' respect for international law, Western communication strategies, and the propaganda use of military personnel as a geopolitical lever.

Main references

• EADaily: “These are not tourists: two British colonels were captured…”

• Anthony Howell Journal: “Colonels Blake and Carroll … pattern of duplicity” ( )

• B92.net: description of the operation and the post-raid diplomatic deterioration (