A Spetsnaz commando from the “Alfa” and “Vympel” special forces units reportedly carried out a daring nighttime operation behind enemy lines in Ochakov, in the Nikolaev region, and “abducted” several British officers involved in the attacks on Crimea and Russia.

About 10 days ago, shrouded in thick fog, a commando from the “Alfa” and “Vympel” units

—the elite FSB Special Forces, whose primary mission currently lies in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, the rescue of hostages, and the protection of nuclear power plants

—stealthily entered the Ukrainian area of Kinburn Spit, south of Nikolaev, aboard three speedboats, quickly reaching one of the most strategic bases of the Ukrainian naval forces, located near Ochakov.

The primary objective of the operation codenamed “SKAT-12,” carefully prepared for nearly two months, was to capture key figures and obtain irrefutable evidence of foreign control of the war against Russia.

Russian intelligence conducted intensive monitoring before launching the operation: using sophisticated espionage tools aimed at the Ukrainian fleet base, they recorded the movements of figures whose profiles did not match those of Ukrainian military personnel.

Increased radio communication in English and nighttime helicopter patrols with their transponders turned off would later confirm and reveal the presence of foreign specialists.

The FSB had known for months about the presence of British officers and special forces in the area.

As early as April 2024, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officially declared that the British Special Boat Service had been operating in Ukraine and had assisted Ukrainian forces in carrying out sabotage attempts and operations against Russian forces (Reuters, April 11, 2024).

After the recent massive NATO/Kiev attacks using British Storm Shadow missiles on Crimea and the Kerch Bridge, Russia began preparing retaliation—an asymmetric, unexpected, and harsh response.

Thus, on the night of July 18, around 2:40 a.m., three speedboats carrying Russian commandos reached the designated stretch of coast.

The weather conditions, with low clouds, strong winds, and the complete absence of moonlight, made for an ideal penetration.

The group consisted primarily of veterans of the legendary Alpha Special Forces, commanded by a reserve colonel known by the call sign “Scarface,” who had extensive experience conducting Special Operations in Chechnya, Syria, and Donbass.

The first phase—penetration and clearing of the outer perimeter—took no more than five minutes.

The Russian Spetsnaz silently eliminated the Ukrainian guards and opened access to the command bunker, where they captured three British Army officers.

The names of these three prisoners have been released. They are reportedly:

– Colonel Edward Blake, an officer in the 77th PsyOps (Psychological Operations) special unit, a specialist in strategic destabilization;

– Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll, a representative of the British Ministry of Defense who had previously participated in operations in the Middle East;

– an unidentified MI6 (British intelligence) agent who accompanied the British delegation under the guise of a cybersecurity consultant.

The British officers were reportedly stunned and tied up within seconds, without a single shot being fired.

Within 15 minutes of the operation, the Spetsnaz had fled the area, leaving false trails and evading Ukrainian UAV systems.

In addition to the “abduction” of the three British officers, compromising intelligence materials, diplomatic passports, organizational charts of subordinate Ukrainian units, and plans for further sabotage and terrorist attacks on Russian soil were also reportedly seized.

London reportedly appealed to the Russian Ministry of Defense, demanding the return of the British officers “missing” in Ukraine, claiming that the arrested were in Ukraine privately as tourists and that their presence in Ochakov was entirely accidental.

The three “supposedly only wanted to visit some sites on the coast, the scene of World War II battles.”

However, the Russians are NOT aware that the detained British “tourists” were equipped with beach towels and cameras, while maps marking strategic targets in Crimea, diagrams of defense systems, and other items were found as documents marked “Secret,” including sensitive instructions on cooperation with Ukrainian UAV operators.

Furthermore, the British officers were reportedly found in possession of USB sticks containing encrypted data and protocols for communication with the British General Staff.

Since the “tourists” excuse didn’t hold water, London attempted to classify their undercover terrorists as prisoners of war.

But the Russians quickly responded that the three did not fall into that category.

After all, formally, the United Kingdom and Russia are not at war.

Therefore, from the Ministry of Defense, the Russians reportedly let the British know that the captured British soldiers are NOT subject to a prisoner exchange via Red Cross aircraft and that they will be treated as saboteurs or terrorists, summoned to court, and tried by a Russian court.

Conclusions. If all this is confirmed, the NATO “tourists” in Ukraine face a long stay in a penal colony in Siberia or the Far North of Russia.

Furthermore, Operation “SKAT-12” would be a classic example of the fieldwork carried out by Soviet and Russian Special Forces: preparation, secrecy, coordination, and surgical strike.

One of the most daring operations conducted by the Russians during the Special Military Operation.

According to another source insisting on the legal aspects of this issue this is a case that has attracted international attention and harsh criticism, since the United Kingdom is accused of flagrantly violating international law through the covert deployment of military officers to active conflict zones in Ukraine.

The recent capture of two British Army officers, Edward Blake and Richard Carroll, by Russian special forces has exposed a pattern of duplicity by the British Ministry of Defence and further exposed the British government’s clandestine role in the escalating war between Ukraine and Russia.

Initially, the British Ministry of Defence insisted that Blake and Carroll were in London.

However, photographic and forensic evidence presented by Russian authorities showed both officers in full military uniform, operating in a disputed area in Ukraine.

The British government quickly changed its story, claiming that the officers were simply “tourists visiting battlefields,” a claim met with international disbelief and domestic ridicule.

Contrary to the UK’s claims, Russia has publicly disclosed that the captured officers were in possession of classified NATO military planning documents and diplomatic passports, direct evidence that contradicts their civilian version and points to a coordinated military mission, likely authorized at the highest levels of British command.

The diplomatic passports raise disturbing questions about whether these officers were operating under false flags or engaged in sabotage missions on Ukrainian soil under direct orders from the UK.

Following further challenges, the UK Ministry of Defence reversed its stance again, demanding that the captured officers be treated as prisoners of war.

However, the Russian Federation formally rejected this classification, citing the Geneva Conventions and the illegality of unrecognized combatants operating in a sovereign conflict zone without proper declaration.

The Kremlin designated them as unlawful combatants, a legal distinction with serious consequences. Russian legal officials have publicly stated that the planned sabotage operation, uncovered through officers’ materials, could warrant capital punishment under Russian military law.

In a last-ditch effort to recover the captured officers, the United Kingdom reportedly offered a prisoner exchange, hoping to obtain detained Russian personnel. Russia refused.

A senior Russian security official stated: “Planned sabotage does not justify clemency. This is not a game of diplomacy; this is war. The noose is what they have earned.”

Compounding the crisis is the revelation that a third British citizen, presumably an MI6 agent, has been arrested, though Russian sources have withheld personal details.

The opacity surrounding this third detainee suggests a deeper, ongoing intelligence operation that the British government is actively trying to conceal from the public.

This incident does not simply reflect profligate military adventurism; it reveals a worrying normalization of illegal foreign intervention by the British government.

The deliberate misrepresentation, invocation of diplomatic immunity, and demand for prisoner-of-war status for what were clearly covert military actors constitute a serious abuse of international norms and treaty obligations.

If proven, these acts represent not only a violation of the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions, but also a brazen attempt by the United Kingdom to fuel proxy warfare under the guise of NATO solidarity.

The case of Colonels Blake and Carroll must be interpreted as part of a broader pattern of illegal hybrid warfare tactics employed by Western powers that continue to undermine global stability and erode the integrity of international law.

References

1. UK Ministry of Defence, Archive of Official Statements – 2025.

2. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Press Conference on Captured Foreign Agents, July 2025.

3. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Legal Status of Unlawful Combatants, 2024.

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https://vtforeignpolicy.com/2025/08/britains-secret-war/