
The Confession of Eduard Koltsov
Explicit content warning
03/29/23 • 34 min
Giles and Sarah’s Russian fixer, Masha, finds a remarkable video interview with a former KGB diver, Eduard Koltsov – the last person to see Lionel Crabb on the day of his secret dive. His deathbed confession is graphic, shocking and believable. But can he be trusted?
Ministry of Secrets is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Ministry of Secrets show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
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Show notes:
Eduard Koltsov interview, 2007 - Ren TV
Lord Mountbatten interview, 1969 - Fremantle
Death of Princess Diana announcement, 1997 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
Operation Paget Press Conference, 2006 - BBC News
John Randall interview, 1957 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
HC Deb, The Case of Commander Crabb, 14 May 1956, Vol 552.
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Newspaper headlines:
The Independent, 21 December 2003
The Guardian, 20 October 2003
The Herald Sun, May 27 2019
The Independent, 31 May 2017
The Daily Record, 31 August 2022
The Daily Express, 18 June 2007
The Daily Mirror, 15 May 1956
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Giles and Sarah’s Russian fixer, Masha, finds a remarkable video interview with a former KGB diver, Eduard Koltsov – the last person to see Lionel Crabb on the day of his secret dive. His deathbed confession is graphic, shocking and believable. But can he be trusted?
Ministry of Secrets is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Ministry of Secrets show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
Show notes:
Eduard Koltsov interview, 2007 - Ren TV
Lord Mountbatten interview, 1969 - Fremantle
Death of Princess Diana announcement, 1997 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
Operation Paget Press Conference, 2006 - BBC News
John Randall interview, 1957 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
HC Deb, The Case of Commander Crabb, 14 May 1956, Vol 552.
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Newspaper headlines:
The Independent, 21 December 2003
The Guardian, 20 October 2003
The Herald Sun, May 27 2019
The Independent, 31 May 2017
The Daily Record, 31 August 2022
The Daily Express, 18 June 2007
The Daily Mirror, 15 May 1956
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode

Detective Lamport and the Missing Page
Giles and Sarah investigate the first few days that followed Crabb’s disappearance with the help of Peter Marshall, the 90-year-old journalist who first broke the story. As they piece together what might have happened, they discover a sinister 1950s cover-up — one that extends to the very centre of power.
Ministry of Secrets is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Ministry of Secrets show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
Show notes:
Newspaper headlines:
The Times, 30 April 1956
The Times, 3 May 1956
Portsmouth Evening News, 1 May 1956
Le Monde, 7 May 1956
Le Monde, 14 May 1956
Bild Zeitung, circa June 1956
The Daily Mirror, 8 May 1956
The Daily Mirror, 9 May 1956
The Daily Mirror, 15 May 1956
Die Zeit, 10 May 1956
The New York Times, 13 June 1957
The New York Times, 29 May 1960
The Irish Times, 19 May 1956
The Irish Times, 10 May 1956
Der Spiegel, 22 May 1956
El Universal, 2006
HC Deb, Commander Crabb (Presumed Death), 09 May 1956 vol 552.
Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
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Next Episode

Fisherman John's Catch of the Day
Fourteen months after Lionel Crabb’s disappearance, in 1957, a corpse is found in Chichester Harbour, eight miles from Portsmouth. Is it Crabb? When Giles and Sarah discover a long-lost autopsy file in West Sussex archives, they seek help from Britain’s leading forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd.
Ministry of Secrets is part of The Binge - subscribe to listen to all episodes, all at once, ad-free right now. From serial killer nurses to psychic scammers – The Binge is your home for true crime stories that pull you in and never let go. Follow The Binge Crimes and The Binge Cases to get new stories on the first of the month, every month. Hit ‘Subscribe’ at the top of the Ministry of Secrets show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com. The Binge – feed your true crime obsession.
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts.
Show notes:
Mark Elliott interview, 2014 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
John Randall interview, 1957 - BBC Motion Gallery/Getty Images
Sidney Knowles interview - David Jackson-Wills
Various materials - West Sussex County Archives
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