Euronews has debunked an online claim alleging that Russian special forces captured two British Army colonels and an MI6 intelligence officer during a NATO mission in Ochakiv, southern Ukraine.
The false narrative names the officers as Lieutenant Colonel Richard Carroll and Colonel Edward Blake, with the MI6 agent remaining unidentified. Pro-Russian sources alleged the three were acting covertly and labeled them “illegal combatants”. The UK allegedly countered by claiming they were tourists interested in local history who ended up in Ochakiv by chance.
Some versions of the story circulated with a purported image of the men, prompting social media users across Europe to urge journalists to investigate.
Euroverify, Euronews’ fact-checking unit, traced the claim to fringe platforms, including the pro-Russian French-language Telegram channel “Pravda” and a website called Core Insights, which presents itself as a cyber risk and security consultancy. Both first published the story on August 2.
Core Insights described it as “the first real-life proof that NATO itself is waging active war against Russia”. However, no credible evidence supports the claim, and multiple indicators suggest it is part of a broader pro-Russian, anti-Western propaganda campaign.
Analysis of Core Insights’ other posts reveals frequent reposting of state-controlled Russian media, such as RT, and narratives aligned with the Kremlin. Examples include an alleged Ukrainian plot to assassinate a Russian defense industry leader and remarks by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accusing Ukraine of “brutality on its borders”.
